Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

Successive governments. County Kilkenny has not received as many facilities in several years.

Approximately 5,000 people do not want to move to a new county or province. The land in question is in County Kilkenny and within the Waterford city environs. The area includes Belview Port and the lands in the area that have been rezoned by Kilkenny County Council. The lands around Belview Port were purchased with the IDA, Waterford Harbour Commissioners and Kilkenny County Council while Waterford City Council decided it did not want to participate at the time. Numerous public meetings in opposition to the Waterford take-over of these lands have been held in Kilkenny, with more than 10,000 signatures opposing the take-over handed into Waterford City Council. I hope the Minister understands the complexities involved in Waterford City Council's proposal as emotions are running high on this issue.

Parish boundaries, not to talk of county boundaries, are a major issue in counties like Kilkenny and Waterford. These boundaries are the basis for what happens in rural areas especially in sport and ecclesiastical matters. If this proposal went through, Kilkenny GAA would lose a club and highly valuable property. Slieverue GAA club's pitch and clubhouse would become part of County Waterford. I do not want a situation arising where Eddie O'Connor, Willie O'Connor and Christy Heffernan would hurl for Waterford. Kilkenny GAA has set up a special committee to examine the matter and it is opposed to the proposal. It has been to the forefront, in addition to the confederation of south Kilkenny communities, in gathering signatures and mounting a campaign against this proposal. No one should be forced to abandon their cultural identity. We have learned this over many years. If the Minister allows this proposal to proceed, an atmosphere will be created that will take many generations to overcome.

The first step that needs to be taken by Kilkenny County Council is to bestow urban status on the area's largest inhabited area, namely Ferrybank. This would give the area the necessary recognition for it to develop all the services for the area. The next step is the development of the area through the planning, land use and transportation study plan, PLUTTS, following along the lines employed by Cork city in its LUTTS plan. The PLUTTS plan was recently established between Kilkenny County Council and Waterford City and County Councils to draw up a blueprint for the planning and development of Waterford city environs for the next 20 years. It is a co-operative approach to develop infrastructure and services for the most important asset in the area, the people. However, the ink was barely dry on the plan when Waterford City Council decided to make the application for the 6,000 acres. The people of south Kilkenny were not happy at this preliminary strike on the most valued rezoned land around Waterford Port.

A co-operative approach rather than a confrontational one is the best resolution to this matter. Kilkenny County Council and its people have always supported Waterford City Council. There were no objections to any plans or proposals Waterford had for the south Kilkenny area, such as the airport, the sewerage facilities for Waterford city and the attempts to upgrade the institute of technology to university status. Kilkenny is determined to ensure this application does not go ahead. The money that will have to be spent on consultants by local authorities and the Department should instead be channelled into better use for the people of Ferrybank and other affected areas. The nonsense must stop and the Minister must terminate the process as the submission date of 26 September has passed. It would be better to get on with the co-operative approach rather than the confrontational in this matter.

See this speech in context