Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The level of anger and frustration in Connemara is due to the fact that we do not have any proper road into or out of the region. People cannot understand why this issue has not been resolved. They hear about meetings between Oireachtas Members and Departments. They get a sense that there is movement, but then they hear there is another logjam. That is the backdrop to the case. Is the problem with the N59 project unique or is the Department engaged in similar cases with other local authorities in respect of other planning projects?

Were the two method statements agreed to basic and simple? Is that why they were agreed to so quickly? What is the nature of the other six and why is it so difficult to get information on them?

Will the Department elaborate on the case before the European Court of Justice and the issues involved? What is the background to the case and who is to blame for what went on? The meeting on 16 September which I attended was referred to. It was agreed that the method statements would be turned around by the Department in ten days. How many of them have been received since? If any was received, was it turned around in the timescale envisaged? Is the lack of engineering expertise in the Department holding up the process in any way? Is it a question of resources in the Department to deal with the method statements? If so, what would the Department need to progress more quickly?

The committee would like to know what lessons can be learned from this process to ensure it will not happen in other areas. We want to resolve the issues on the N59 as quickly as possible, but we would also like to be able to make recommendations to the Department to influence legislation and ensure the process is robust, as well as efficient.

On the compensatory measures included in the available toolkit, the substantial issues are in the Glengowla area with freshwater pearl mussels. What toolkit is available to the county council? What compensatory measures can be considered as part of the method statements being put forward?