Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and his officials to the meeting. Yesterday we had a very good presentation on NIFTI. That gave us a clear understanding of the framework for the future of planning, investment and infrastructure, and how that can be compatible with environmental objectives. From that perspective, we understand the role and importance of it.

A couple of issues have been raised. I refer to the planning laws and the review thereof. What participation does the Minister have in that? How has it progressed? How quickly will we have new planning laws? There is a significant concern in respect of serial planning objectors in particular. These are vexatious objectors who hold up developments for an inordinate length of time for spurious reasons. They have no familiarity with the location or development to which they are objecting. Effectively, the same objectors appear in every county and there needs to be a curb on that activity.

I am a firm believer in the town centre first philosophy and principle since the Minister explained it to us and because Tipperary town has been a beneficiary of it. All towns have suffered dramatically in recent years, mainly because of planning decisions that were taken 20 years ago. Towns are bereft of shopping opportunities because the big supermarkets and outlets were positioned on the outskirts of towns at the request of the planning authorities at the time. The heart was torn out of every town in Ireland. As the Minister stated, it has even gone to the cities now. In my county of Tipperary there are Thurles, Clonmel, Nenagh, Cashel and Tipperary town. Each of them has so many outlets that are locked up. We need to restore town centres and make them places of living again. We need to bring families back into them and make them living centres, as they were before. There are so many derelict buildings. There are unoccupied pubs and shops. I know the Government has recently taken an initiative to address this issue but it is absolutely essential if we are to return some vibrancy and activity - commercial, living and day-to-day - in town centres.

From what I heard on NIFTI, I presume the agreement to proceed with the bypass of Tipperary town is compatible with the NIFTI objectives. Obviously, there is a significant environmental dimension to the bypass in that it will alleviate traffic congestion, noise pollution and pollution from vehicles. In general, it will open up the town, take the traffic out of it and allow people to come back into the town to trade with local shopkeepers and do business in a normal way. Is the Minister satisfied that plan is in line with NIFTI? I ask him to reiterate his commitment to the bypass and its funding.

As an aside, since that progress was made and the Minister committed to the bypass of Tipperary town, the route process has been expedited. We are nearing completion in that regard and will shortly have the preferred route identified. In that context, many local farmers and people with land and properties in the area are concerned with regard to the compulsory acquisition of their lands and what have you. That certainly needs to be upgraded. The compensation must reflect the current value of the land. The compensatory measures that are in place at the moment are outdated and not in keeping with modern costs and values. They certainly need to be reviewed.

If the Minister were to address those few issues, I would be happy.