Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this important matter.

Last week, I raised my concerns about the MacKinnon report by means of a Private Members' motion on behalf of the Rural Independent Group. This report comes under the new national planning framework. Ireland 2040 is supposed to provide a framework for national planning, pulling together relevant Government policies and investment on national and regional development.

It intends to put a focus on economic development and investment in housing, water services, transport, communications, energy, health and education infrastructure. However, I do not believe the implementation of the Mackinnon report truly fits into the description of this framework. The report proposed that Cork City Council's boundary be extended. This reform would be one of the most significant reforms of local government structures in the history of the State. It would see the population of the city council area nearly double to 225,000 people. It is a huge concern for people in my constituency of Cork South-West and in the county generally as the change will result in an estimated loss of €80 million to Cork County Council through commercial rates and property taxes.

How does this fit in with the intention to improve and invest in housing, transport and water services on a regional and national level as outlined in the national planning framework? How will this affect places such as Castletownbere, the Mizen Peninsula, Kilcrohane, Durrus, Bantry, Skibbereen, Bandon and Clonakilty? It will have a detrimental effect throughout west Cork. It will have a negative effect on the economic development of the Cork County Council area. It is not appropriate that this report should go into the Ireland 2040 plan.

The key elements of the new national planning framework are regenerating rural Ireland by promoting environmentally sustainable growth patterns; plan for and implement a better distribution of regional growth in terms of jobs and prosperity; transform settlements of all sizes through imaginative urban regeneration; and bring life and jobs back into cities, towns and villages. With regard to bringing life back into cities, towns and villages, I do not know how the Minister will do that. It certainly has not been the policy of either this Government or the last Government to bring life to rural villages. In the case of planning, every possible obstacle is put before young people who are trying to get planning permission to start their lives in a rural community. Changes and allowances must be made if the Minister wishes to turn the situation around.

I live in hope of seeing all the elements happening. However, with extraordinary growth being encouraged in the capital and little or no plan for rural Ireland I worry that the national planning framework will be little more than a paper exercise.

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