Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the joint area plans across two local authorities. Is what is proposed there an improvement on what is there at the moment? I am thinking of my own local authority with Dún Laoghaire to the north of it. The areas are very close together. They are almost one urban area but divided by county borders. Do the joint area plans offer better opportunities for councillor feedback on a joint level? My sense is that when there is that planning around the borders, it tends to be executive-led and there is not as much councillor interaction on it. Do the witnesses see the joint area plans as offering more opportunities for councillors, especially between Meath, Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Louth, and other areas, such as Limerick and Clare?