Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

As this is not a case where property is at risk, but where a road is concerned, it is therefore a matter for the Minister for Transport. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, has committed to speak to the Minister for Transport about the issue.

The area is located in a special area of conservation, SAC, and that makes it harder to get the consents. As to the question of whether it would be possible to have a fast track for planning, the only fast track that exists is emergency planning in case of bridge collapse or something like that. That is unlikely. I do not want to give the Deputy false hope there. As soon as the Natura impact statement is in, the council will be in a position to draw up its plans. There is no reason the council cannot progress matters. I think the design work is in place so there is no reason the council cannot pre-prepare its planning application and have a degree of parallelism such that it is ready to go when it gets its consent.

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