James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am joined by Deputy Frank O'Rourke from Kildare North to share our common concerns about proposals in the local area plan for a road through St. Catherine's Park. The Minister of State, Deputy English, will be familiar with this issue, which centres primarily on the Leixlip local area plan. It comes on the heel of decisions made by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for Sallins and Celbridge. There have been three area plans in 12 months and there are more area plans for Naas and Maynooth to go through in the next 12 months. We are seeing a pattern where local democracy and democratic decisions taken by local councillors are being overruled by either the Ministers or their officials, and certainly by the Department. The local councillors live in the area, they are elected for the area and they understand what will work there. This will be three in a row if this Leixlip area plan is to go ahead. It is not good enough. The Minster and the Department are not accountable in the same way as local councillors.

The facts in this case are that St. Catherine's Park is a very important and strategic asset to the people of Leixlip, and to the people of Fingal, Lucan and surrounding areas. The two different councils, Kildare County Council with 40 councillors and Fingal County Council with 33 councillors, have passed motions at their respective meetings to safeguard the park, to ensure no road goes through the park, and that the park be protected as an amenity for the people. St. Catherine's Park enjoys green flag status and is an essential amenity for the people in those areas.

The proposed road does not need to go through St. Catherine's Park. The M50 outer orbital route is a viable alternative. The Minister of State will be familiar with the Navan-Newbridge proposed route where originally there was a plan for an outer orbital route from Drogheda through Navan down to Newbridge and back to Wicklow. If there is a need to go from north to south, it does not need to go through St. Catherine's Park.

On a point primarily of local democracy and, second, of amenity value, I call on the Minister of State not to overrule the democratic wishes expressed by the people of Leixlip through their councillors and to safeguard this park.

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