Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet in his poem "Ode to a Mouse" speaks of "The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft a - gley". For those who are not familiar with Ulster Scots it means that the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

I cautiously welcome the national planning framework for 2040 but I am hoping that in planning the work we will work the plan because there is no doubt that by 2040 it will probably be left to Fianna Fáil to implement the plan. I expect that we will soon have proper legislative footing under the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016. Project Ireland 2040 is a very ambitious plan for our country. As many other Deputies have already stated, however, a lot of what is contained in the plan is not new and the plan contains initiatives that have been announced already. The plan is made up of a lot of rehashed announcements that have given Leo's spin doctors a high.

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