Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)

I welcome the opportunity to comment on the revised national planning framework. It is such a crucial piece in the infrastructure of our planning in this country. Obviously, it flows down into regional plans and into local area plans and sets those parameters which we need to guide the development of our population and our communities over the coming years. In particular, I welcome that brownfield sites and infill development is a feature in this. In my constituency, although really across Ireland, we need to make sure we harness that as a way to make sure we reach our targets in terms of housing development but that we do it in a way that is sustainable and in a way that keeps communities together, which is so crucial.

I agree with my colleagues in terms of what we need to see match this. It is the infrastructural development that unfortunately we have been crying out and which has been under-delivered again and again by this Government. In my constituency of Dublin Rathdown transport is such a problem for people. The bus routes are not working for them. The Luas was such a great success but now capacity is such that people cannot even get on at certain stops. Even at my local stop in Sandyford or in Stillorgan, it is difficult to get a seat in the morning at rush hour. Healthcare, GP visits and secondary school places are a problem as well. With regard to amenities and sports facilities for young people, there are issues in Sandyford where conflict has arisen because young people have so little available to them in the local area-----

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