Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

I support Senator O'Toole in his call for a debate following the IBEC report on the mid-west region. Speaking on the Aer Lingus Bill last night, I touched on many of the relevant areas. I also welcome the Government decision to proceed with guidelines regarding rural one-off houses. If one talks to the planners, one learns that in every county there has been a dramatic escalation in planning applications, mainly because people are trying to avoid the planning and development fees being introduced, which is understandable. In many counties, however, there are inconsistencies. In Kerry, section four motions operate. In Limerick, there is thankfully no policy regarding such motions. There will have to be consistency in the guidelines, and uniformity throughout the country. The guidelines being laid down are extremely important, and we will assess the benefits they bring and the impact they will make on rural housing in Ireland in the future.