Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

Not at all.

To respond to Senator Healy Eames on mental and emotional health issues, this is a planning and development Bill, not a health Bill. However, since 1 October 1964 the community's concerns have been enshrined. We have discussed that balance between the wider benefits to the community and the well-being of the individual. I think we are striking a balance and as the years go by, the balance gets better. When one looks at the policy documents from organisations as diverse as the Irish Heart Foundation or transport bodies, they all pretty much state we need to have more planning rather than less.

While the core strategy is strong, there also are the rural planning guidelines. They still stand.

What we will be touching on is the urban-generated rural commuting, the long-distance commuting that is tearing the heart out of the countryside because the roads are merely racetracks and tearing the hearts out of our towns, cities and villages because these just have large surface carparks. That is where a balance is being struck. Senator Healy Eames must be careful. She made reference to officials from my Department. In fairness, they cannot respond to her at this debate. She specifically mentioned the problems from DOE officials, and that is unfair.