Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join the Cathaoirleach in thanking Senator Keoghan for her testimony and talking about the importance of love and kindness, particularly in these difficult times.

I agree with the comments of Senator Hoey on an issue a number of Senators have raised previously, namely, the importance of having a debate on the rule of law in Hungary and Poland, particularly regarding decisions on European funding for those countries. If they do not respect the rule of law and minority rights, they should be called to account.

I know that other Senators, including Senators Keogan, McGreehan and Davitt, have raised the issue of rural housing. We need a debate on rural housing and supports for rural communities. The office of the planning regulator is currently sending letters to every local authority that is going through a county development plan. The plan for Wexford arrived in the last few days but it is unworkable. It states that those living in a rural area must have a farm of at least 15 acres so the only people who will be able to build in rural areas now are those who inherit the family farm. The advice is that people who want to live in the country should buy an existing house in the countryside and do it up. The difficulty for locals is that they must often compete with purchasers from outside their area. On the other side is an expectation that people should move into villages. Many villages do not have water and wastewater infrastructure. Much higher housing densities are now expected in some towns. I am not in favour of allowing anybody to build anywhere. However, planning must be sustainable while having regard to existing traditional rural infrastructure. We must also support our villages. It is essential that we have a proper debate on how we can support rural communities.