Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I want to take up several issues the Minister of State referred to earlier on the guidelines for county development plans. I agree it is important we protect flood plains as we saw the damage earlier this year, especially in Galway, when they were not.

I am keen to talk about the happiness of our population. The Government and some Members are foolish in thinking that people's mental health cannot be affected by the area in which they live. For some, living in a rural area is best for them. For others, it may be a city. I reject Senator Ó Brolcháin's recent claim that Fine Gael was irresponsible when it came to planning. It was a low and cheap shot. Fianna Fáil has always been concerned in facilitating people in building houses where they wanted.

It is not always appropriate for people to live in a cluster or a city. Most of the problems in respect of which I have been contacted at my office in Galway are mental health related based on anti-social behaviour as a result of people being inappropriately clustered together. I grew up in the country and later moved to live in the city. I now live in the country again. I lived in a place called Foster Court in Galway city, which while I loved it for a while I knew was not the place for me to live.

Where in this Bill are people's housing needs on mental and emotional health grounds facilitated?