Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

I have another minute. Good.

Men and women are trying to get a start in life but are being refused in their first steps. It is nothing short of scandalous and the reasons for the refusals leave me scratching the back of my head. To my sincere embarrassment, I can look at a site and see holiday homes at sky level behind the site where the house is proposed to be built and they are being refused because the new house is too high. They might have 20 acres and are being told to go to the neighbour's ground to get planning permission. They cannot do that. They only have so many acres. They can only do so much.

Couples who want a one-off house are refused by the same council and are looking for zoned land close enough to the same area. The council will refuse a one-off house but allow 100 to be built up or down the road. The whole thing has gone upside down and needs a little common-sense thinking. I would appreciate if the Minister of State showed that and talked to his colleagues.

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