Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his detailed reply. I refer to two of his comments. First, there is no key infrastructure required for the progression of this site because of its location. As I mentioned earlier, it is beside services such as a train station and motorway so no key development is required. The site could progress and it is not solely dependent on the second bridge and ring roads. We need those in Celbridge urgently but this location is not completely dependent on those projects.

Second, on the flooding issue it is worth noting I have engaged with the Minister of State's colleague, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, whose Department has allocated funding to the local authority, which in turn carried out flood alleviation works in the area over the past two years. Senior officials in the Department, along with the local authority, feel those issues have been addressed and dealt with fully. However, as a final piece to the jigsaw, they have agreed to fund a final detailed study, which is currently under way and will be completed just after Christmas. This is to ensure there are no other possible causes of flooding in the area. Technically speaking, there is no expectation of such flooding. The flooding issue has been almost fully, if not fully, dealt with.

A master plan will not be done overnight, as the Minister of State and his officials know. In light of everything that is positive here, will the Minister of State and his Department engage with Kildare County Council and stakeholders? Will he write in support of the master plan in order to progress it for this key area of development? It will eventually deliver housing, if that zoning is agreed through the normal statutory process, as the location beside these services has been identified through the Department , the local authority, the municipal district and the public as an area of key development for delivery of housing, etc. I hope we will not have to bring the matter before the House again and that the Department can send some correspondence to the local authority in support of this development for Celbridge. This will answer many of the problems caused by the current housing crisis.

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