Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for the opportunity to raise this issue which is important both to my constituency and the east coast generally. I refer to the decentralisation plans for Drogheda and south Louth. Some time ago, many parts of the country welcomed the Government's decision to decentralise significant portions of the public service. People recognised the significant economic impact that decentralisation would have in the target locations.

Being situated in the North-South corridor, Drogheda was one of the prime locations to be considered as part of the decentralisation programme. The decision to relocate a significant number of public service employees to Drogheda was welcomed. In recent years, the town has been one of the most rapidly growing areas on the east coast and some may say in western Europe. The number of housing units built in the town has grown phenomenally and a significant dormitory population live in Drogheda and work in Dublin. That they can live in Drogheda and commute on a daily basis to Dublin is a tribute to the positive and worthwhile investment in road infrastructure by way of the M1 from Dublin to the Border. It illustrates the importance of investment in our road network for the development of towns such as Drogheda in County Louth.

People in the public service have significant and understandable interest in coming to Drogheda. I am sure it will be much easier for public servants who live on the north side of Dublin to turn the car northwards towards Drogheda than to face the traffic problems they may encounter in going to work in various Government Departments around the city.

It goes without saying that people with an interest in the completion of this project are anxious to see the timescale for locating the offices in Drogheda and for public servants to begin to come to the town in greater numbers than previously. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply on this subject.

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