Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On that point, there were detailed plans in 2012 or early 2013. The Minister's predecessor would have received some outline requests for support because it is a project that encompasses two local authorities and it needs that kind of background support.

I have advocated for many years for a strategic development zone in the north fringe - the south fringe from a Fingal perspective - which would be a massive new city region. If we had an SDZ in the region, which we should have and which is something the Minister could take to Government, we would have key infrastructure such as roads, schools and services going in as occupants moved in. We have had a terrible time with the north fringe and south fringe, and the Acting Chairman can back me up in every word I say, because of the pyrite problem, which was an horrendous imposition on young families, men and women who had struggled to save and were paying mortgages. We also had insulation problems and all types of other problems.

There is the example of other countries. For example, when the north fringe was first mooted, some city councillors may well have visited Stockholm. Stockholm, like Dublin, has four local authorities and in the northern part, where they were building a new north fringe, they tried to put all the integrated services in together. That certainly included roads. It included taking major traffic out of the new centre, a place called Hammarby Sjöstad in north Stockholm. They also examined other EU capitals where there was major town development, but the roads were part of creating a new urban district.

Obviously, there will be significant changes in south Fingal and the north part of Dublin city. In particular, the county manager envisages Swords becoming a major regional centre. It is the fifth or sixth largest city in the country already - the fifth or sixth anyway. It is a major regional city. We hope to have major services in terms of education, health and so forth encompassing the population back to Dublin Bay North, which is mostly in the city area. A key part of progressing this is to look seriously at this road project.

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