People cannot get planning permission.

I was going to say that the points the Senator made on the need for continued development in rural Ireland are very valid. A balance must be struck. Senator Higgins commented on sustainable development and certain other issues. We must strike a balance, but I think the point Senator Mulherin makes is that we must be open to the development of rural Ireland, and the Government is open to such development.

Senator Humphreys raised the issue of local government boundaries and cited the example of Rathmines and the division of the urban village. There are parts of where I am from in Cork, for example, in Grange, where boundaries go through housing estates. A new local election boundary literally goes through a house in the area. This poses a question that I have repeatedly asked as to how these lines on maps are drawn. Do members of these independent boundary commissions not recognise that this must be about not dividing communities and allowing for a community voice to be heard?

Partition has been brought to a new level if boundaries are going through houses.

The boundary is going right through a house. I am not quite sure what happens if one lives on the left-hand side of the house, but if one follows the map-----

In that case, marital strife could determine which constituency one votes in.

It could, but Senator Mullen would not be in favour of marital strife.

I hope Senator Buttimer is not either.

Anything but; I am very happily married. I hope the house in question will be part of one electoral division. However, this case prove the point that those who sit on independent boundary commissions are not always right. We should not be afraid to hold them to account but we cannot do so. This issue, which Senator Humphreys was right to raise, is a bugbear of mine.

I join Senator Humphreys in commending Dublin Port on its growth. I recognise that it was the Taoiseach who, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, implemented a new ports policy that set a new course for our ports. I am glad Senator Humphreys is joining me on that.

Senator Lawlor raised the issue of Seanad reform. I would be a little premature to have a debate on Seanad reform because we are charting waters that have not been navigated. I am sure the chairman of the Seanad reform committee, Senator McDowell, will be happy to report in due course. I remind members of that committee that the Clerk of the Seanad, Mr. Martin Groves, set out most important information in his position paper to the Seanad reform committee.

Hear, hear.

I would love for that correspondence to be circulated to committee members in the recess for light reading. It certainly will be plenty of food for thought.

The Leader might arrange that.

Yes, I could do so.

If members of the committee perused the Manning report and its recommendations while they were at it, that would also be useful.

Mr. Groves's paper will do me.

I am not being jocular. I make this point quite seriously. Mr. Groves's paper for the Seanad reform committee is a very fine paper, one that deserves reading and investigation.