In a word- no.

What will happen ? An exclusion area will lead to an explosion of building at the edge of exclusion area.
What little countryside is left will disappear.
Excuses will always be found to grant planning permission - money talks and developers ( hateful euphemism ) are both generous and well connected.

I agree, I don't buy this defeatist attitude that developers will always find a way round rules. If you travel to the continent, developers are clearly constrained by strict planning policies and as a result other european countries tend to be less affected by urban sprawl as ireland.