House building is one of the Government's main objectives. However, many young couples and individuals are being denied the ability to build their own houses because of the planning guidelines that the Department insists local authorities use.

These young people have the money to build their own houses, they have the sites and they have the need. However, the guidelines are preventing many from obtaining planning permission. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government put in place another stumbling block in 2012 whereby people who wish to build houses for themselves cannot access national secondary routes. I want the Minister to address those issues, which are depriving many people of the opportunity to build.

It is not a matter of legislation. There has been a substantial increase in the number of planning permissions applied for and granted, and these apply in all cases. Clearly, local authorities and the transport authority have an issue in respect of more exits on national routes. We have had occasions in the past where roads have lost their national secondary or primary status because of the incidence of new exits - traditionally through section 4 notices - given that there is a matter of road safety involved where that happens. That is a matter for discussion between local authorities and the transport authority.

In respect of the planning guidelines, obviously, any couple or individual applying for planning permission in the Deputy's county or anywhere else goes through a preplanning discussion with their local authority. It is not national guidelines that are imposed in the vast majority of cases. This can be seen in the rate of increase in the number of planning applications applied for and approvals granted, which is substantial.

They are being denied preplanning.