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

Meath goes to All-Irelands more than we do. That said, we must work together now as we did on the issue of water. Water and wastewater in east Meath and Louth come from Drogheda. The fire service in Drogheda covers east Meath. Education services in Meath and Louth work together. There is already considerable co-operation, but we need greater administrative co-operation to put in place a planning and control infrastructure in local government that is based on the area in question. An imaginative solution is what we need. Our health services are served from Drogheda. There is great interaction on that front. However, the policing of the Drogheda district ends at the motorway. If someone is passing drugs on the Donore interchange, as has been known to happen, a garda must come from Ashbourne to investigate. It is not acceptable that the policing district does not include those other parts of east Meath as well as Drogheda. The future imaginative solutions that I mentioned will make a significant difference.

The census has recognised this need. For those Deputies who wish to look, Drogheda town's footprint extends into County Meath. There are people living in the area of County Meath who are included in the town of Drogheda for the purposes of what the town needs. Recognition of the future of the greater Drogheda area, which includes-----

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