Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have to say I am very disappointed in the response of the Minister. It is not for me to be disappointed but for the 54 householders caught up in this. This legal challenge could go on for years. The last time it went on for more than seven and a half years. Eight householders were caught in the previous project. This has been going on for more than 22 years. Is the Minister telling me these 54 householders have to sit and wait until a judicial review has taken place before they can sell a house? Many of these people are moving on in years. They want to downsize. They want to leave a bit of money to their children or grandchildren. They cannot sell the biggest asset they have. The Minister is telling them to sit at home and wait until this whole process has been complete. I will not accept this. That is wrong. That is not fair on the 54 householders. Nobody in this House would like to be affected whereby they could not sell their properties on the open market because nobody would buy it due to a decision by the Department that it wants to put a ring road around Galway. I ask the Minister please to intervene personally and deal with TII and bring forward some scheme to give a bit of comfort to these householders who want to sell and move on.

See this speech in context