Michael Brennan (Fianna Fail)

Planning authorities should now adopt a more positive and proactive approach to dealing with rural housing, working together with the applicants as facilitators in bringing together all interested parties to create a shared view on how the question of rural housing is to be addressed. We should protect the environment — waste water has been mentioned — and monitor and maintain water quality. The guidelines also take that into consideration. The controls on occupancy of housing have been mentioned by a previous speaker, and I also ask the Minister to tease out that issue in the context of sustaining the population of rural areas to ensure that we do not have unsustainable developments.

For the first time we have a national framework setting out in detail Government policy as laid down in the national spatial strategy. It is to be prepared for implementation by all local authorities. I thank the Minister for taking into consideration the submissions by the General Council of County Councils, the Rural Dwellers Association and An Taisce. At a meeting of the Joint Committee on the Environment and Local Government attended by Senator Bannon, all the submissions were made by architects and taken into consideration by the Minister.

I thank the Minister once again for moving forward. This is above politics. The future of rural Ireland is in the hands of politicians, and local authorities throughout the country have acted on cross-party lines. I am surprised to see the issue become so divisive here today. Charges have been mentioned. Counties have adopted those, and members of Senator Bannon's party have voted for them because they see the merit of waste water treatment and sewerage plants being built in rural areas. That is very important.