The Commuter Counties series in The Irish Times, prompted by the dramatic increase in population in the 2002 Census, has revealed a new social phenomenon
Thousands of people are opting, by choice or necessity, to leave Dublin and settle, for good or ill, in towns and villages miles away from the capital. A new lifestyle where commuters are driving much longer distances to work in the Dublin area has been exposed. Appalling traffic congestion and inadequate public transport make a four-hour commuting day not uncommon. But that is a fundamental part of life for many thousands of people in Ireland today, post-Celtic Tiger.
The pervasive influence of Dublin's exorbitant property prices and the obvious lifestyle compromises associated with living in the capital in terms of space, crime, anti-social behaviour and its own hellish traffic are apparent in the many stories of people embracing change and moving out.
There are tangible benefits in terms of "living beside the fields": bigger and more spacious housing at considerably less cost and a sense of community, even if there is little variation in suburban-type housing estates being imposed on rural areas.
The accounts of long distance commuting, as reported to Kathy Sheridan, reveal a remarkable degree of stoicism and calm resignation among the new generation of car-dependent commuters. They seem to have carefully weighed up positives and negatives, with benefits in most cases coming out on top. Local politicians seem all too pleased to facilitate this trend by rezoning land for housing in defiance of public policy. That is what made Frank McDonald's accounts of planning motivated primarily by developer interests within the new commuter heartlands so disturbing.
Individual decisions may appear insignificant, but their cumulative effect can be seen clearly in the accelerating spread of suburban sprawl. This is not the fall-out of some 15 years ago, when planning abuses, particularly in Dublin, seemed to be the norm. The planning decisions that are turning - or will soon turn - numerous small villages into poorly serviced towns within a few short years, are being taken now. And local authorities are showing little regard for the consequences of forcing inappropriate rezonings upon small communities.
Spelling out the reality of Commuterland is nothing new. What the series has revealed is its extent in terms of population and area and the minimal prospect of providing the kind of infrastructure, services and public transport needed to serve these new communities.
Addressing the issues raised in the series last Tuesday, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, betrayed a complacency in the face of this historic change. Though he had no hesitation in wresting powers from local councillors on waste management, he gave no indication that he intends to use his powers under the Planning Act to curb Dublin's unsustainable sprawl. This is a risky strategy. It should not be happening in a haphazard way.