Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The timescale is important. I have many constituents who access the service and need it to get from A to B. There are a number of services in Carlow town. The Delta Centre, for example, provides services for people with intellectual disabilities and so forth. People have to go to Bagenalstown to get off the train and then come back to Carlow to access the service. That does not make sense. It is a major difficulty for people who need to access services. There was an expectation that the project would be completed this year. It is important that whatever obstacles are in the way would be cleared immediately. Perhaps we could be provided with a timescale in that regard.

On another issue, one of the NTA's functions relates to submissions to regional planning guidelines. Does it have an input in circumstances where, for example, my neighbour may want to build a house and there is an issue with the road infrastructure or the like? Is it true to say that the NTA is one of the main obstacles to rural housing at present?