Noel Grealish (Galway West, Progressive Democrats)

I hope my two constituency colleagues in Galway West, the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Fahey, and the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, will bring the Taoiseach to Claregalway to allow him to see first hand the traffic congestion in the town.

Incineration is also a matter of concern in Galway. A number of incinerators are planned under current waste management plans. Recycling in Galway has reached 52% of total waste, a record which is of great credit to Galway City Council. Cities which work hard and reach high recycling levels should be rewarded. Galway County Council is now working hard in this area and achieving considerable success. For this reason, I am opposed to the construction of an incinerator in Galway and the west in general. We do not need six or seven incinerators around the country and current proposals should be reconsidered with a view to devising a better system to deal with waste.

As the owner of a small business employing several staff, I am aware that waste continues to increase and is an important issue which must be addressed. Nevertheless, we cannot impose projects on members of the public. Genuine individuals should be given the right to object to infrastructure project and make a strong case against them if they so wish.

The Bill will address many issues and, I hope, expedite the delivery of the critical infrastructure this country needs. Members regularly travel abroad and often hear colleagues in other countries refer to the success of Ireland. When one drives through other European countries, particularly in the east, one cannot fail to notice the standard of their infrastructure and roads. In contrast, despite its status as one of the leading economies in the world with one of the lowest unemployment rates, Ireland lacks critical infrastructure, including roads. I hope the Bill will speed up the delivery of this type of infrastructure projects, while also addressing the serious concerns many people have about such matters.

See this speech in context