John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The future of development, particularly what we saw during the worst excesses of the Celtic tiger period, was the sprawl of Dublin in particular into the neighbouring counties and into the midlands, as far as Laois and even parts of my own area in Carlow and Kilkenny, where so many people are commuting. The future population increases are largely going to be based on proximity to work, as we face climate challenges and ensuring that we meet targets. The awful situation that so people face on a daily basis where they have a commute or drive up the M7 from the midlands to Dublin, where they are sitting probably four hours a day in a car in traffic is not sustainable from an environmental perspective. It is the same on a smaller scale in every community throughout the country. We cannot have a situation where we see dormitory towns develop just because they are serviced. There needs to be approximately to work, education and to the services that people require as to whatever stage they are at in their lives.

Senator Burke is correct to point out that people are not aware of the potential impact that this might have for planning and development into the future, but it is equally important that we radically change from the planning and development strategies that we had up to 2010, in that era of so much development across the country.