James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I disagree with the Leader.

The new guidelines will force many rural householders seeking to buy or build a one-off house to stay in it for a period of seven years. Under the regulations, rural homeowners or members of their families will have to occupy a property for seven years unless a local authority allows them to sell it to somebody with a link to the area. It is proposed, however, that the restriction will apply only in rural areas near cities and larger towns under developer pressure or where there is pressure for holiday or second homes. The Minister provided clarity on the provisions in his speech earlier.

Unfortunately, design is ignored to a great extent in the new guidelines. The Minister spoke briefly about the omission. It is strange that in a document of 52 pages, only one page deals with this very important issue. Responding to criticisms of ugly, Southfork-style, one-off houses, the Minister said that one person's eyesore was another's dream. He forgot to add that such houses might be many people's nightmare as has been the case in the past. Very worryingly, as some might say, a dispersed pattern of settlement has been a highly visible element of the Irish tradition. One-off houses in Northern Ireland alone exceed the total for the whole of Britain. The quality of a rural house is vital. Where it is a properly designed, a one-off house can complement the landscape and revitalise depopulated areas.

As we all know to our cost, the opposite approach is a complete disaster. According to the submission of the Irish Planning Institute to the Department last November, extensive development of one-off housing in rural areas, much of it urban generated, has had harmful environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts. There has been a negative impact on important landscapes and rural amenities generally while distinctive rural cultural traditions and heritage in the built form have been lost. The proliferation of septic tanks and individual waste water treatment systems has had an impact on ground water. People living in one-off housing rely almost exclusively on cars for all journeys and ribbon development and urban sprawl is evident around large towns or cities as well as smaller villages. There is dereliction and decline in the centres of smaller towns and villages which the Minister must address.

It had been hoped the Minister for Finance would extend the rural renewal schemes and tax incentives which have a role to play in this area. The matter should be reconsidered as many smaller villages have lost out due to failure to provide infrastructure and sewerage schemes on time. As county towns have benefitted more than rural areas, the Minister should consider a scheme to support smaller towns and, especially, villages. According to the planning institute, one-off housing leads to increased costs in the delivery of such services as post, electricity, telephony, health and schools.

Unless the Government takes urgent action, the future of the post office network will be seriously threatened. This service, which is at the centre of rural life, faces closure in many rural communities with the far-reaching consequences for the rural population and the livelihood of local postmasters and postmistresses.

It is of tremendous embarrassment to the Government that the European Commission has taken it to the European Court of Justice over the issue of waste water facilities. I referred to this earlier on the Order of Business and called for a debate on this issue and the lack of progress in advancing rural sewerage schemes for smaller towns and villages. This matter must be addressed. I am sure the Leader will contact the Minister in the next few days to arrange such a debate.

The health and safety of people in many rural areas is at risk due to the Government's handling of sewerage treatment plants. There are serious problems in many towns and villages. We must have proper standards to protect people's health. This latest move by the European Court of Justice is a clear indication to the Government that it is not doing its job in this area. As I explained to the Leader this morning, Ireland now has the highest rate of microbial ground water pollution in the EU. There are clear implications for the environment and public health.

A recent study by engineers from Trinity College examined 74 widely spread and randomly chosen sites in Leinster. A mere 55 of these had ground conditions suitable for ready installation of septic tanks and were not in need of remediation measures such as importing soil for a percolation area. If 95% of these sites in Leinster needed such intervention it is easy to see the implications for the rest of the country, particularly in the poorer conditions west of the Shannon.

There is a major omission in the guidelines in the areas of sustainable development and the protection of the countryside. As is the case in any house purchase, the warning caveat emptor applies and similarly these guidelines should be approached with a certain caution. Nonetheless, they are welcome.

I urge the Minister to examine the issue of derelict houses in the countryside. This matter must be addressed. There are many derelict sites in rural townlands which do nothing to enhance our tourism potential. Perhaps a special incentive could be provided for the refurbishment of traditional homesteads. This would enhance our culture, heritage and everything else that is dear to Irish people's hearts.

I have come across cases where in spite of evidence on the 1913 Ordnance Survey map that a house existed on a site, planners refused planning permission on the grounds that there is a stream within half a mile of a house even though a house stood on the site for 200 years up to the mid-1920s. The Minister should make provision for houses to be built on existing sites.

Many traditional farmyards still exist throughout the country although we have moved on and modernised by building slatted houses and so on. We should consider the preservation of these fine stone structures that are falling into neglect. It is important that we would do so. Perhaps this could be done through the REP scheme or a similar scheme which would be introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. This would greatly enhance our heritage and the environment and would also be of benefit to the tourism industry. I urge the Minister to take these points on board and thank him for coming to the House to debate this important issue.