Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I hope that it is not done on political interference. Certainly, that is not the way we should look at significant investment. It should be done based on regional development and strategic importance.

Returning to the Bill, I admire Deputy Spring. He and previous generations of his family did the State much service, but it worried me to hear a Government Deputy state he hopes the civil servants take on board what he listed. I remind the Deputies on the other side of the House that the people of Ireland gave them the honour and distinction of being elected to office in 2011 and they are the ones who dictate legislation. If the Deputy or any of his colleagues in this House feels there are inadequacies, deficiencies, anomalies or whatever, or if this Bill falls short, this is only the Second Stage reading. We must go through the process. I encourage them to put down the necessary amendments. They have the power and the numbers to ensure that any amendments they see fit can be passed and adopted. We should not be talking about bringing in Private Members' Bills at a later stage because, historically, the proof of the pudding has been in the eating. In the past four years, any Private Members' Bills that have come forward, be it at Private Members' time or Friday morning sittings, have not been implemented. Here we have legislation that is not going far-----

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