John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

In fairness, the notion that in order to build in a rural area one has to have a cast-iron connection with the area and that permission will not be given otherwise is too restrictive. Some provision should be made for attracting new families into rural areas but that is not catered for in these guidelines.

I welcome the fact that the Minister has decided to publish the guidelines. If I were to be cynical, which I have been accused of being by different Government Senators from time to time, I would say that the upcoming local elections on 11 June might have something to do with this but I welcome the fact that it now appears to be part of Government thinking that something needs to be done about rural development and planning. I cannot see any significant improvement in my local area of Kilkenny as a result of what is contained in these planning guidelines in terms of the difficulty people are experiencing in gaining planning permission. That is regrettable.

I urge the Minister to go back to the drawing board to ensure that people who have genuine links to rural areas and those who want to build houses in rural Ireland, which fit in with the character of the area, are accommodated. As many Senators said, we have a tradition of rural living. A large proportion of the population has always lived in rural Ireland. In the previous century there were many more people living in rural areas than are living in them now, and rural areas can sustain that level of development. I urge the Minister to re-examine the possibility of introducing planning and development guidelines that will have a positive impact in rural areas.