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

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating me in raising this sensitive subject. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, for his attendance. The Ceann Comhairle will be very familiar with the silhouette of Naas, as I am. As one approaches it from any angle, one sees three cranes standing over the town, frozen in time like prehistoric dinosaurs. They are symbols of inactivity, inaction and decay which is not good for the town or the surrounding area. Worse, we could resolve it if we put our minds to it. The Minister of State has offered his assistance, as has his colleague in the Department of Justice and Equality, to try to bring this to a conclusion.

Imagine our chagrin when, in recent days, we discovered an invisible enemy within, which appeared on the horizon when a local business interest with potential for the provision of more than 400 jobs had to withdraw its case on foot of an objection from a semi-State body, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII. TII successfully objected, for a second time, to such an extent that the business concerned withdrew its application on the basis that it could not risk a second refusal. I do not mind somebody having a genuine reason for making an objection. It is provided for in law, as it is in this case. However, when State and semi-State bodies are involved, it should not be beyond the boundaries of supposition for them to come together and recognise what is possible. TII's successful objection deprived the town of an industry which was going to be beneficial. It was going to upgrade the facility. The site, at the entrance to the town, has been derelict for many years. On safety grounds, allegedly, the good statutory body objected to the proposal. The proposal is in abeyance and we do not know if any application will ever receive favourable consideration.

The site is not directly off the motorway. It is off a roundabout which is off the motorway. It is a roundabout, off a roundabout, off the motorway. There is plenty of space to provide whatever safety features are required. It is an independent site and it is a prime site. There is no better located site in any town in the country. The fact that, for the second time, the statutory body decided to hold to its strict pattern and, once again, deprive the people of Naas of a beneficial investment, is unacceptable. The time has come when we must ask ourselves some very serious questions about the purpose of such an exercise. I would have thought the purpose in life of all such statutory bodies was to co-operate to the best of their ability and ensure they fulfilled their statutory functions within the meaning of the law with all due respect for all others, including the private enterprise that attempted to make the application. I leave it to the Minister of State to respond and I hope we can be of some positive influence.

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