Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

We are getting into broader issues. I would be aware, as would anybody else who was campaigning in the Deputy's by-election, of the massive growth in population in north Kildare. We all accept that it is crucial work in regard to forward planning. There are questions in regard to disability on which we will seek detailed information to enable us plan for the tremendous investment that my colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, and others have made in that area. Our job is to make the investment.

On planning, we get the maximum amount of statistics and figures to help whoever is in Government at local and national level to do the job properly. From my experience, there is a massive increase in population in Kildare as well as many foreign workers. That is evident in the Deputy's constituency as well as in mine. One cannot always plan for that in a detailed way. Planning is an ongoing process. I accept there are pressures on schools, but it is up to Governments to move on and to try to provide those facilities. Whether in Kildare or south Dublin we have to plan for motorways, roads, infrastructure, hospitals and schools. The massive growth in population and the arrival of immigrants are symptoms of a successful economy. Sometimes there are elements of success for which we cannot provide instant solutions. That is what is happening as far as I am concerned. They are qualities in an economy we would all welcome in any given day. When we compare ourselves to other economies throughout the EU, we are the envy of many. While the figures can only do so much, they are crucial for forward planning.

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