Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity to raise this very important issue for both our constituencies. This story goes back almost ten years. The cranes that have been stalled in suspended animation in Naas are an unnecessary symbol that we must hope will go away soon. Approaching the town from all angles, locals and visitors alike are confronted with the sight of a town centre which has stalled in its development. It has had a negative effect on the town because it gives a negative appearance to the town and it would appear that nobody cares. I know that not to be true but for one reason or another, negotiations have been taking place now for ten years, or have not been taking place as the case may be, with a view to bringing together all the various strands that have been outstanding for all that time in respect of wayleaves, CPOs. There has been an issue in respect of arbitration, which started a year ago to resolve one of the outstanding issues. Mysteriously, and in an extraordinary fashion, it disappeared and is to be resumed next spring. It would have been much more efficient and effective and would have given a much greater impression of animated activity and of there being a degree of concentration on the job, if the process had been concluded.

The local authority is awaiting developments as the arbitration will not start again until next spring but in the meantime, matters remain the same. There are numerous offers and options available to further the development in the event of the problems being resolved, so I ask the Minister to use his influence within his Department to influence local officials, although they do not actually need to be influenced, and to influence officials in adjoining Ministries to the greatest possible extent to move the process forward again and to remove the obstacle to the development of the town which has had an unnecessary psychological effect on the town's development. It is one of the country's best provincial towns and there is no reason that image cannot continue but the longer the cranes remain static on the horizon, the longer their image will prevail.

I ask that every effort be made between now and the end of this session to regenerate the activity that should be taking place now, thereby eliminating the issues that have strangled the centre of the town for so long.

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