Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

No. The reality is that this document will make no difference in such cases. Were it not for the Famine and ensuing emigration, our population would be approximately 21 million. We are unable to plan for a population of less than five million people. Senator McHugh raised some very valid points. Planning departments throughout the country are completely stretched. Why are they not receiving extra resources? Will the Government, at this late stage, provide them with extra resources?

Carlow has a massive turnover of planners, so much so that one genuinely would not know who deals with planning because every time one telephones, one planner is leaving and another is arriving. That problem is duplicated throughout the country. Unfortunately, the side effect of that is that advice obtained from one planner is contradicted by another and an application is often refused for a completely different reason. That is happening all the time and it is totally unfair. We need consistency. We must examine the terms and conditions under which our planners work. They are under tremendous pressure. Most of them are leaving for the private sector where they can earn more money for far less hours. I am not surprised to hear Senator McHugh's comments about planners in Donegal working until midnight.

The point made by Senator McHugh about the one glove not fitting all mentality is true. Carlow is a small county, the northern area of which from Hackettstown to Tullow is under enormous pressure from Dublin. Many people from Dublin not wishing to live full time in Carlow would build houses there if its housing policy were more relaxed. However, that would not be appropriate in my view. Areas such as Bagnelstown and Borris would welcome such housing developments because their population is decreasing.

I am wary of this measure. We take a common sense approach to planning in Carlow but, if anything, these guidelines might restrict us even more. That view has been expressed to me by independent sources in Carlow.

This Government's record on housing is atrocious. It was the same Minister who abolished the first-time buyer's grant without any warning but the Fianna Fáil Members have conveniently forgotten that. That measure had a huge impact on young couples. The Government also increased VAT on building products by 1%, which had a huge impact on building, and it has now increased development levies which will have a major impact on people building their own homes. On the Government's record on affordable housing, the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, admitted in a reply to a Dáil question from Deputy Allen that not one foundation for affordable housing has been laid so far this year, out of 10,000 houses promised.

Senator Mansergh referred to 60,000 units having been built so far this year but he failed to mention that half of those are for investors. Even the Minister for Finance has grave difficulty with that area and had planned to cut back on the tax reliefs on housing but did not do it in the budget. The Government's record is atrocious in this area.

Will the Minister of State clarify with the Minister whether Fianna Fáil is now recommending that those who were refused planning permission in the past two or three years should now reapply? That is a straightforward question and it will be the proof of the pudding as to whether this measure will work. Is Fianna Fáil recommending that those people should reapply for planning permission? If so, we will see where we are in eight or nine weeks time.