Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

If the situation continued as it is, we would only have older people in rural Ireland, which would be an enormous burden on the health service. The benefits are enormous. This is great news and long may the Minister last to deliver on it.

What I liked about these guidelines is that the Minister said there would be a shared view. He received submissions from the General Council of County Councils, LAMA, the Rural Dwellers' Association and An Taisce. It is great to have them all involved. I do not have any difficulty with these people. They were all of the one opinion except for An Taisce, which kicks with a different foot according to whom it is talking. I agree that this is the way we should proceed.

The Minister also stated that planners will have to facilitate people in order that applicants will not feel daunted. We have been put in that position because planners have not shared the ethos of rural Ireland. They come from other areas and countries and have no feeling for what rural Ireland is all about. I welcome that planners will have to be facilitators. They will also have to listen to key players such as the General Council of County Councils, the wider community, local residents' associations and so on.

There is no question of opening the floodgates to the development of South Fork-style buildings. I would hate if that were the case as that is what put everybody off development in rural areas in the past. Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and everybody else, including planners, are guilty of taking that approach. As a result we had awful monstrosities of buildings, which were not properly integrated into the landscape, stuck up in the mountains. The Minister has recognised this and I applaud him for it.

It is important that we develop a style of building that is properly integrated into the landscape. Such an approach would facilitate a population move from urban areas to rural areas, which would allow for the development of rural pursuits. Hill walking, fishing and parish sports days are nearly things of the past. It almost appears as if nobody is living in rural Ireland at the moment. All Senators undertake election campaigns. The countryside is beautiful but nobody appears to be living there. Parts of the country are dead and it is time to revitalise them. I am delighted that these guidelines have been introduced and I congratulate the Minister on them.

The Minister stated that the situation would be monitored to prevent the proliferation of septic tanks. I was a member of South Dublin County Council where this subject was discussed in regard to the Dublin mountains. I encountered many people who cannot get planning permission to build houses in the mountains. I agree that developments must be in keeping with the local area, which the Minister has recognised. The General Council of County Councils and LAMA will be thrilled with these regulations, as will county councillors who will be delighted to pass on this good news to their constituents.