Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am particularly glad the Minister mentioned the NTA strategy and its summation in terms of population, etc., and, indeed, on whether the Minister and the Government have roles to play in respect of this matter. They most certainly do have roles to play.

I referred earlier to how the plans would see two stations located in the town, with the final terminal in north Navan. Only a stone's throw away from that station, there is a parcel of land of 51 acres to which a ministerial SDZ, zoning order is attached. The latter is the reason the north Navan station was going built in that part of the town. This SDZ, or strategic development zone, is designed to cater for 1,400 houses on that parcel of land. That is a significant number of houses by any stretch of the imagination. At present, the infrastructure in the town cannot cater for the near 30,000 people who live there, but here we have a ministerial order that would lead to the construction of 1,400 additional houses.

There are moves afoot. Only three weeks ago,The Irish Timesdevoted an entire half-page - beautiful maps, aerial photographs and all - to the SDZ and the ministerial order. This parcel of land in north Navan - which is already choked up - is retailing for in the region of €6 million, a knock-down price in current terms. The land in question is located adjacent to where the railway station would be located. Reference was even made to the abandoned railway line in the developers' pitch to potential purchasers. Only last week, a different parcel of land of 44 acres on the Dublin Road side of the town sold for €6 million. Across the river from that parcel of land, one can find another 30 acres for sale at Johnstown. My point is there are nearly 120 acres of land up for sale at present.

My party made a significant submission to the NTA strategy. I was a member of the local authority at the time. Our planners disputed the figures that the NTA used. The then Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey, who advanced the matter to a particular point at the time, hotly contested with Iarnród Éireann its contention regarding the figures it was using.

My town cannot cope. It is under pressure and has been identified by Ministers as a location to accommodate strategic housing developments. What I am asking from the Government is that Departments should work with each other. If the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is identifying landbanks-----

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