John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)

The Senator mentioned "within reason" and that is appropriate. I have tried to introduce in the Department a common-sense and practical approach to planning in everything that I have done.

On rural policy, I absolutely will ensure that we continue to support the development of rural one-off housing, as is happening around the country at present, but we must strike a balance. I am from Waterford city and I do not believe that I should be able to go out into mid-County Waterford or west Waterford, buy a greenfield plot of land and build a brand new house. Of course I can go there and take a vacant or derelict property and turn it into my home. Of course there are areas of the country where, by virtue of somebody being born within a certain delineated line, that they are not able to go outside of it, particularly in smaller settlements. These are all the things that are being discussed with my officials at the moment. I want to strike the balance in supporting towns and villages in rural areas while at the same time enabling rural one-off housing, where appropriate, in settings across the country.