Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The question is about where there is a need for a public body to provide a local primary care centre, for example. The point was well made by Deputy Mulherin that many facilities and housing were pushed out to the edge of towns and we need to get them back in. We agree fully with the Government on this. The Minister of State referred to sweating these important sites. It might not be the best term and I would probably prefer the word "consolidate". We should be aiming to consolidate town cores. While I do not want people living on top of each other, one sees that the heart of every town one drives through is derelict. They are coming apart and the centre is not holding. We need to look at this seriously. While a great deal of what is being proposed is good in the general scheme of things, it could be about bringing in a primary care centre or other important facility.