Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)

The NPF is a critical tool in how we shape our housing infrastructure, services and communities. I welcome the revision placed before the House following public consultation and a comprehensive review. However, we need a plan that reflects the major changes our country has seen in recent years. Planning is not just about numbers and maps; it is about the kind of people and communities we build.

Too often, especially in north Dublin, as I have seen time and again, including in the examples of Belmayne and Clongriffin, we have built thousands of new homes but we do not have public amenities to match them. I have gone to multiple residents' meetings since being elected to this House and while I was a councillor. There are more than 10,000 residential units in this area but not one single community service where residents could leave their children and allow them to do anything other than hang around on the streets. It is no wonder we have antisocial behaviour in these areas.

A stitch in time saves nine. We should put a community centre, library and other facilities for children in north Dublin on the L-shaped land in Belmayne. We all know what happens to young adults who not have an option. I hope the Department will look at this because it is really important. We need an idea that would allow people to access key services within a short walk or short cycle of their homes. That is not an aspiration but a requirement. Planning is the most powerful tool we have. It is proactive rather than reactive. It looks ahead and is a framework that delivers, not just for housing but for better communities.

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