Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the work by the Government and the Department on Fianna Fáil's initial amendment over the last number of years: it has nearly been too long at this stage. It stemmed from frustration felt at local level that it always seemed the National Transport Authority was the leading and driving force, and not the county development plans or the spatial strategies. In fairness, many of the National Transport Authority policies did not even acknowledge the county development plans. With the establishment of the office of the planning regulator with a complete oversight of planning, Fianna Fáil felt that it was necessary for the office of the planning regulator to have oversight of transport planning policy, because they are integrated into the whole planning process.

I thank the Minister of State, the Government and the officials for working with us on the amendment on transportation.

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