Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is an important debate on a crucial document. The strategy will determine the future of our country up to 2040, in particular how towns and cities develop. The key figure in the document is 50,000, which is the definition of a city's population by European standards. According to the document, if a community reaches a population of 50,000, it is a cityipso factoand must be treated as one. The plan mentions many cities, but the one that is missing is the most important of all and is where I live. The greater Drogheda area has, according to the census, more than 80,000 people in it. That the plan does not recognise that fact is of concern.

It is not true to say that towns are not mentioned. A town is, and I have no difficulty with that reference. Figure 7.2 on cross-Border co-operation reads: "Develop the critical mass of the Newry-Dundalk area to compete with other larger cities." I welcome this objective. I never had a difficulty with that. Neither did the Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, of which I am a member, when it agreed today to include Drogheda as a third point in the Newry-Dundalk axis as part of a larger city or separately as its own city. This recommendation is now in the draft plan for consideration by the Minister and his Department.

I welcome everyone's comments today but why is there such controversy over this? We should be fighting like hell over this because we are fighting for our communities and our future. We are putting forward our plans. We are recognising the needs of our constituents. I accept that the regional plans to follow will see further strong battles but I want to put my marker down today - Drogheda must become a city because it needs support services for its population.

Our area includes the environs of east Meath. Deputy Breathnach was a councillor when Louth and Meath county councils agreed a development plan for the greater Drogheda area. What was wrong with it? It was quite a good plan. When it went forward for approval, however, it had no standing because it was not a statutory plan and the local municipal committee in east Meath kicked it out, leading to an appalling planning miasma in which there were houses without services and shopping centres without shoppers. Hundreds of houses were built without any sewerage facilities. The sewage was being moved at night in tankers. There was appalling and disgraceful carry-on in east Meath in terms of planning. It happened because there was not a proper plan or the proper plan was neglected and the councillors took over. It was an absolute disgrace.

We need a proper development plan for the greater Drogheda area. We need imaginative solutions. I understand that people in Meath want to wear the Louth jersey no more than Louth people want to wear the Meath jersey-----

See this speech in context