Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for putting forward the amendment. I had a similar amendment drafted, but I appreciate the fact that it was not as detailed as what the Minister has come up with. This came out of the bizarre situation whereby the National Roads Authority would embark on the design and construction of a new road without knowing whether it was going to get planning permission for it. The Chairman would not build an extension on a house without consulting Mayo County Council first of all to see whether he was likely to get planning permission. As the Bill's provisions are not yet in effect, we still have the ludicrous situation of it being a shot in the dark whether major infrastructural projects will get planning permission. We have seen this in counties Kerry and Meath and in my own constituency in County Limerick.

Now that the Bill has been amended, I would like to see proper consultation and dialogue taking place rather than situations like the one we had in Adare, where there was a point-blank refusal with no reason or rationale given as to why the route was rejected. That creates a situation where we do not know whether we should apply again, move it or change it. The associated costs are in the tens of millions when the whole country is taken into account. The situation where the Railway Procurement Agency could engage with An Bord Pleanála while the other major transport infrastructure agency, the NRA, could not, was just bizarre.

I welcome the amendment, and now that it has been made I would encourage the Minister's Department to use whatever influence it has on the National Roads Authority to re-establish the planning process in Adare, once the Bill has been enacted. Adare is probably the worst remaining bottleneck in the country in terms of the national road infrastructure. More traffic goes through it than any other town in the country that is currently down to be bypassed, yet Adare is not on any list. This is another element of the bizarre nature of how the NRA selects its projects. Now that this is sorted, I hope the Minister will use whatever influence he can bring to bear to encourage the NRA to restart the planning process with Limerick city and county councils, and to put Adare and the N21 back on that list. I thank the Minister for amending the Bill and think it will be very positive.