Planning difficulties - Rural moves need to be made easier

THERE is a bitter irony in the Catch 22 situation facing hundreds of families who wish to improve their quality of life

Because of the clampdown on planning in rural areas, people are being prevented from building houses in the countryside, according to Rural Resettlement Ireland, which has criticised planners for rejecting double the number of planning applications now being accepted in some rural areas. Since its inception, the voluntary group has helped 500 families relocate to depopulated areas in 19 counties.

To be fair to planners, however, they are in a no-win situation damned if they grant permissions in scenic areas and damned if they refuse them. It should, however, be possible to strike a balance in a spirit of compromise aimed at helping people who want to relocate in rural areas.

The idea of providing greater representation for rural residents on national planning bodies deserves serious consideration.

Regrettably, more and more people are being driven from Dublin and other cities by the greed of developers profiting on the dreams of young people who mortgage their lives to realise their dream of buying a home.