Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

It may surprise people to know that I do not disagree with points made about the closeness of Drogheda and south Louth to the greater Dublin area and the population growth and development that have taken place. That is why we have included specifically in the Bill the power to extend the greater Dublin area. Section 54 states that the Minister may designate bus and rail services originating or ending outside the GDA as being part of the GDA transport system. This is designed to cover some of the points made by Deputy O'Dowd about firms such as Matthews Coach Hire and, indeed, Bus Éireann services that originate outside the GDA. Thus, the Bill confers the power to designate transport services as GDA transport services. Section 63 provides that the Minister may extend the functions of the DTA with regard to integrated ticketing, fares and public transport information to public transport service areas outside the GDA. These provisions are as far as we can go.

I do not want to be political about this, but what the Deputies are asking me to do would be profoundly undemocratic, although I know they do not mean it that way. As I said, I am not making a political point. As I was at the Cabinet table at the time, I know that representatives from County Louth fought very hard to ensure Louth would be included in the BMW region. Many people were surprised it ended up in this region, including some of my constituents. Thus, Louth is not just a different county but part of a different region. A planning system was established in the Planning and Development Act 2000 which includes regional planning guidelines. This is integrated regional planning — we have the national spatial strategy and, on the next level down, the regional planning guidelines.

I do not disagree with the sentiment that it would probably be a good idea to include Louth, but we cannot divide a county because this would result in a whole raft of difficulties with regard to county development plans, with one set of criteria applying at one end and another set at the other end. We just cannot divide it. Thus, we can only consider Deputy Broughan's proposal that the entire county of Louth be included in the GDA. I have no major problem with that, but the decision should not be made by three Members of this House. I genuinely do not think it is a decision for us to make. As Minister, I do not feel I can make that decision because the local government system and the regional authorities are under the aegis of another Minister. It is right and proper, particularly in the context of local government reforms being discussed, to ask the local authorities concerned to move from the BMW region to the mid-east region. We could then slide them into the DTA. That is the process needed.

Deputy O'Dowd makes a convincing case and I am not arguing against the integrated planning needed. This Bill relates to what should be standard practice for any local authority in drawing up a development plan. I appreciate that the Deputies opposite have acknowledged this. Transport services should be integral to county development plans, let alone this Bill. Deputies have argued their case strongly and while I do not disagree in principle, the amendment is not the way to do it. It would not be right and democratic to do so in this manner. If Louth County Council wishes to take this route and become part of the Dublin transport authority, I would have no objection. It would make much sense, but not in the way proposed.

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