Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. This is a very worthwhile debate. Without people, a town dies. Without footfall, business dies and everything that goes with it, including communities. It is most important to ensure that every town has a community, because people comprise communities. We have had many policy documents over the years seeking to encourage more sustainable urban development. Residential density guidelines were issued in 1999 and there is a national spatial strategy. The NESC housing report was issued in 2004, Sustainable Rural Housing was published in 2005, and Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities was published in 2007. All of these reports expressed a commitment to promoting development and the renewal of towns, including small towns and villages.

Whatever about the commitment of various governments, we have failed in that objective and we need a renewed effort in this regard. During the boom years, the vast bulk of housing construction was in the form of suburban housing estates or one-off housing in the countryside. There are very few examples of new housing development at the edges of villages and in small towns. Good-quality developments in town centres and over-shop developments were not commonplace. What we need are developments whose scale and layout fit well with the existing towns and villages and which present a high-quality living environment to attract people back to small towns and villages, thus supporting local communities and businesses. We must also provide more support for public transport and reduce dependency on cars. Planning authorities have an obligation to make the centres of towns and villages attractive and affordable for people who wish to set up businesses.

The architect Paul Keogh argued that we have not seen many examples of sustainable development. He wrote in an article:

On the contrary, weak planning, suburban social values and an uncontrolled market during the boom years conspired to facilitate an overwhelming predominance of low-density greenfield development outside of - and often remote from - existing urban centres. With the exception of tax-driven apartments, social and affordable housing, few family homes have been built in towns and village centres and essential services, retailing and businesses have relocated to the outskirts. In short, the decline of the inhabited town is in freefall and rural Ireland is becoming overwhelmingly suburban.

That statement must be taken seriously. If we are to manage the projected growth in housing demand, we must review the suburban model and determine what action is required to ensure that we pull back from the sprawling development model and replace it with sustainable development around and within towns.

Local authorities can do much to ensure business development and sustainability. South Dublin County Council, of which I was a member until 2011, developed an action plan with some very good ideas therein. An analysis was carried out of vacant properties which also examined the relationship between zoning and planning applications. The aim was to examine each empty property with a view to maximising usage by local people, whether they be artists or other business people. Local authorities can play a vital role in this context.

I welcome some of the very innovative ideas that have been put forward to date, particularly relating to the cost of parking in town centres. The provision of free two-hour parking is welcome, for example. The Minister will correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that under the Road Traffic Act 1994 local authorities have the power to set parking charges. They can introduce by-laws for parking charges, as was done in south Dublin. We have seen the introduction of disc parking, differential rates for different parking zones and so forth. Local authorities can change by-laws in their own areas. Not every village or town wants the provision of two hours of free parking. It depends on the size of the village or town, the movement of cars and so forth. Equally, fully free parking could mean that some people would drive into the centre of towns and villages and then get the bus to work. Local authorities are best placed to decide what is appropriate for each location.

A key element of any business development strategy is ensuring access to credit for such businesses. We have bailed out the banks and we must ensure they provide credit for viable businesses.

There are several options for commercial retail premises wishing to avail of urban renewal assistance under the auspices of the Revenue Commissioners, which includes 50% of expenditure on new construction. Regarding office accommodation in small urban centres, the Government has introduced eligibility for capital allowances.

The Government has already taken action to counteract the corrosive effects of the recession on towns. New development contribution guidelines were introduced earlier this year.