Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)

Yes. Monaghan, Cavan and Dundalk are out further. What would have been wrong with using the towns on the outskirts of the city and linking them inwards? They could develop economic links to the city and the other marked areas. Such would comprise a proper plan.

Will the spatial strategy be re-examined and will the Government consider places such as Meath, Navan, Kells, Trim and other towns? The last strategy bypassed us. A proper spatial strategy does not skip over some of the main areas under such pressure. When there was no spatial strategy, they endured the pain and counties Meath, Louth and Wicklow experienced a great deal of housing and other developments. There was no proper plan to direct those developments elsewhere. When this spatial strategy was introduced, it should have corrected the problems in those counties around Dublin. Such would have been proper planning.

In its current form, the planning system can act as a blockage and delay projects. My County Meath colleague, Deputy Johnny Brady, mentioned the M3 motorway. Other areas where there have been delays were also mentioned. On the events surrounding the M3, objectors have delayed it by a certain period, but not by seven years. At my first council meeting in July 1999, which will be seven years ago next month, members were shown the four or five potential routes for a new dual carriageway through County Meath. The process started seven years ago and no one in this House could tell me it has been delayed for seven years by objectors. It will shortly be in its eighth year of delays. The matter went through the courts and has been delayed for the past six months by objectors, but until that point no objectors had delayed it. It spent six or seven years in the system of An Bord Pleanála hearings, evaluations and route selections.

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