Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Government parties do no exactly spring into action every morning when they get up and, therefore, another few weeks will not delay the process too much if we just give everybody an opportunity to contribute. Those who wish to take that opportunity will do so and those who do not want to do so will not. However, we should be fair to everybody.

In its submission, Fianna Fáil has sought the establishment of a national infrastructure commission. That would be important because we need to gel all the aspects of the economy together to make it cohesive, to streamline investment and planning and to ensure investment follows populations trends and movements. Such a commission would be good for all those reasons because it would pull all aspects of Government spending together.

The Government parties have not covered themselves in glory on housing. There is no point in saying anything otherwise and there is no much point in the Minister of State disputing that. There is a great deal of work to be done and they have acknowledged that they need to do more. They have said they are doing their best. Unfortunately, however, their best will fall dramatically short of what is required given the increased demand for housing alone based on current population trends coupled with demographic changes over the next few years. The Government has not planned for an older population in the context of housing. That fact should be examined. Everyone is talking about building three-bedroom, semi-detached houses across the country but there is no strategic thinking about how people will be housed when they become single occupants as their family members move out or die.

It is as simple as that. We have no strategic policy and, therefore, have large numbers of elderly people living alone in houses which are no longer suitable for their needs. When looking at planning, investment, house design and community design, that particular future-proofing issue should be taken into account. It would save us many challenges in the years ahead in terms of trying to adapt housing and moving people from large houses to smaller houses. It would be done in a more structured manner. I urge the Government to examine the area.

Finally, I will be slightly parochial but for a national reason. The Taoiseach came to Cork last week and announced the completion of the M20 from Limerick to Cork but the previous Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, also came to Cork and announced a convention centre some time ago. However, all that is there is a few pallets with a bit of sand on top of them. A year and a half later, there is nothing else there. On the same day, the first sod was turned on The Capitol development and that is now completely built and fully occupied but not a stone has been laid on top of another at the convention centre site. There is, therefore, sometimes a jaundiced view of these particular announcements. However, I urge that the north ring road in Cork, linking the Dublin road with the south ring road on to Killarney, and the M20 would be seen as strategic investment that would counterbalance the growth in Dublin. The three university cities of Galway, Limerick and Cork, with an international airport, a large airport into Europe and a critical mass of people could sustain economic growth and act as a counterbalance. I, therefore, urge the Government to examine that from the point of view of investment in the south west.

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