Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

Why can this not be done in Ireland? I have looked up old tourist guides to County Kerry. I have one dating from 1946, which was a time when good tourist guides to the county were produced, in which a nine-hole golf course on Inch Strand is included. While a golf course had been located there previously and one can discern on the dunes the outline of former holes, the owners are unable to develop it. I consider this to be a step too far. Provided they go through a proper environmental impact assessment study and carry out proper procedures, can an opportunity be provided to these people to seriously consider such a possibility? The Minister should refer to this matter in his response because it constitutes an example of how planning can provide an economic advantage to a local area and the exact purpose of this Bill is to promote and support economic renewal. The area of Annascaul and west County Kerry as a whole have suffered serious underpopulation, underemployment and depopulation for a number of years and this project would provide it with a major boost. It also would make County Kerry a destination for links golf with facilities at Ballybunion, Barrow, Dooks, Waterville and Annascaul. Even though the Minister, as a member of the Green Party, is supposed to be protecting the environment, I see no reason he could not take an initiative on this issue. He should at least provide clarification in this regard.

Listowel has a particular problem regarding a flood plain that was purchased. The Minister announced he intended to draw up guidelines in this regard but in the meantime, his Department, which obviously went through the proper procedures, purchased a major site in Listowel for an enormous sum of money. Thereafter, after the purchase of the site by his Department, the Minister's new guidelines came into effect. The Minister should clarify this point, as surely the officials in his Department who purchased the site should have known that he intended to issue the flood plain guidelines. What can now be done with this land? My understanding is that this land is frozen and cannot be built upon and the Minister might clarify this point. Certainly, the land simply is sitting there. Perhaps it could be used for recreational purposes or to provide people with garden allotments or some other use.

Deputy Joe Carey referred to a similar matter, but the case to which he referred differed because this site had not been purchased when the Minister announced his intention to introduce guidelines. As for one section of the Minister's Department speaking to another, an explanation might be helpful in this regard. I do not suggest any impropriety took place and I do not begrudge the recipients whatever they received for it because the Department's officials paid them the money.

I will conclude by reiterating that the Minister should revert to the issue of percolation. Is the availability of a surface water discharge licence accepted throughout the country? As it can be done from a commercial premises but not from a private house, there seems to be a major contradiction in this regard. Another important point is whether this should apply to every county. Moreover, in respect of special areas of conservation, where a strong economic argument exists surely then exceptions can be made to provide a boost to the local economy.

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