Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I believe Galway does need some new roads. There is a ring road system around Galway city that needs to be completed to provide the kind of free-flowing traffic movements that are necessary. Traffic congestion in Galway city is a significant issue and a significant problem in terms of future growth and investment. That being said, I believe we will see a much bigger emphasis in urban environments on public transport provision and higher density, but also higher quality of residential property. That is what needs to happen.

Of course, this needs to happen under an overall city development plan. The Deputy can call it a master plan or a county and city development plan - whatever she wants to call it. Ultimately, however, the whole point of having a national planning framework is that planning in the future is not development-led but is plan-led in terms of trying to socially engineer, if one likes, how and where people live in the interests of the environment and quality of life. The idea that we have tens of thousands of people travelling into Dublin from more than an hour away every morning and making the same journey back in the evening is an example of the kind of planning we do not want to see in the future. Galway has an opportunity to give leadership on that, as do the other cities. I hope they will take that opportunity.

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