Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for mentioning my late colleague on Kerry County Council, Jim Finucane. Jim was a great Kerry man. He loved his county and his town of Tralee. He was involved in everything. big and small, in Kerry. I extend my sympathies to his wife and family and his wife's nephew, Councillor Mikey Sheehy. I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear this news late yesterday evening. He will be sadly missed by all. He left an impact on Kerry and that will forever be remembered. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

The national planning framework and sustainable rural housing guidelines 2005 were introduced at a time when rural areas had different needs. These policies now need to be reviewed and updated to reflect the current housing crisis and the demands of rural communities. Another area that must be addressed is the restrictions on national primary and secondary roads where unless a person's application for a house is in a section of road with a limit under 60 km/h, then they are out. The Ring of Kerry is an example of this. Other examples include the roads from Castleisland to Tralee, Castleisland to Farranfore, Tralee to Dingle, Tralee to Listowel and on to Tarbert, Killarney to Rathmore, and many others. The Government must reform these national policies to ensure that families in rural Ireland are not locked out of the opportunities to build homes where they live. We need a planning system that can be responsive to the needs of local communities and provide the flexibility to address the housing shortage in a meaningful way.

We must allow modular homes. As I have previously stated in this House, applicants and their families who attend my clinics and whom I meet on a daily basis in their homes would be more than happy with a good-quality modular home. After all, in many cases, it is all they can afford. I plead with the Minister of State to look closely at opening up our county and country to modular homes. It is the only option for many families today, sadly, but they would be more than happy with such a house. In many cases, they are of such a high quality that they would last 60, 70 or 80 years.

While yesterday's announcement is a positive step forward in addressing some of the infrastructure challenges in rural Ireland, we must not lose sight of the need to reform planning policy. The combination of streamlined wastewater solutions and updated planning guidelines will help us deliver the homes that are so desperately needed in Kerry and rural communities across the country. I want to see couples around Killarney, Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Dingle, Kenmare and Castleisland being allowed to build a family home. Fianna Fáil is committed to ensuring that no community is left behind. We will continue to work towards a more flexible and responsive planning system that allows families to build homes on their own land and contribute to the growth and sustainability of our rural communities. We must provide housing. We must provide the infrastructure, such as constructed wetlands. We must provide affordable housing, social housing and low-cost sites.

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