Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I seek only to represent the plain people of Ireland to best improve the quality of life for all.

I represent an area that has experienced urban sprawl with between 300 and 400 housing schemes, no community life, few residents' associations and no soul. I welcome the Minister's rural guidelines because I want to see a movement away from large urban areas. I seek a village concept that will engender quality of life and community spirit, where residents discuss issues and look after one another. I am not referring to Southfork style developments; I am referring to simple sites with nice houses that fit into the environment and that allow people to return to live in the place they were raised.

On one of my first campaigns for election to the Seanad I travelled to various parts of Ireland and never saw anything like the dereliction. There was no soul and no life. As I travel now I can see the development of a new type of life and I welcome the Minister's approach to it. People are of greater significance than beautiful schemes. A lovely environment is important, but not without people. I do not wish to look out on a soulless place on a dark winter night. I want life around me.

Why is An Bord Pleanála getting such bad press? A unified system is being sought rather than one based on regionalisation, but I think regionalisation is a good idea. It could lead to a streamlined system and help deal with the existing backlog. There are inconsistencies evident in the decisions of An Bord Pleanála which sometimes make sense and on other occasions are bewildering. I am not confident in dealing with An Bord Pleanála and there is a perception that all is not right.

Regarding consistency in local authorities, planners have their own agenda that can be difficult to break down. Very often the director of planning cannot tell his planners that the policy is to be implemented in a certain way. They can get away with doing what they want because that is what they learned when they were studying. I have experienced that and it is worrying.

Senator Henry spoke about her worries about septic tanks. I installed a septic tank in a house a year ago and I was put through the ringer by the local authority in terms of adhering to the specifications and post-installation monitoring. I welcomed that and I can reassure the Senator that local authorities are equipped to deal with one-off housing. We might lack services under the rural guidelines but once they are in place we will have a good concept of rural planning, with people living in the country away from urban sprawl.