Sir, - With regard to Frank McDonald's article on a proposed commission on rural housing (The Irish Times, August 7th), I notice when driving through rural areas in Longford and beyond that there are a great number of new and nearly built houses with "For Sale" signs outside.
If you look in any estate agent's window you will see pictures of newly completed houses for sale. I know from my own experience that many people applying for planning permission go to great lengths to convince the planning authorities of their need for such a house, only to put the house on the market when it is complete. Surely, if someone puts in writing their need for a house in a particular location they should be expected to live there.
Perhaps, when a person receives planning permission for a house, they should be debarred from selling it for a period of perhaps five years. Better still, they should be expected to occupy it for that period. Maybe that would slow the rural blight? - Yours, etc.,
Paul Higgins, Battery Road, Longford.