Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister of State well in his new role. Communities across the State are in serious need of proper investment with many people left without the facilities one would expect in any thriving community. Doctors, banks, schools, youth facilities, primary healthcare centres and childcare facilities are some of the amenities one would anticipate being at the heart of any small town or suburb that has been planned in a way that properly provides for its population. Large-scale housing is needed but we must remember that when constructing housing in an area that we are building a community that is there to stand for decades to come. It makes sense that when there are spikes in the population, such as in my constituency of Dublin Bay North, and in Fingal, we need to create sustainable public spaces and the services to cope with the number of people who will live in the area.

One aspect of council development levies that I would like to see improved is the ability for councils to pursue and collect outstanding charges owed to them. According to a parliamentary question response from the previous Minister in May last year, there was €287 million in uncollected development levies owed to councils at the end of 2020. The four local authorities in Dublin alone were owed €150 million while Cork council and Kildare County Council were owed €13 million, respectively. I think we will all agree that these are significant sums. They would go a long way to support development projects that are being built to serve new communities and that would serve existing communities.

There are any number of small or medium-sized projects in my constituency in need of investment and financial support, including even the simplest facilities such as a playground. Two areas in my constituency that are campaigning for a playground - Kilmore West and Harmonstown - and they are getting nowhere. When we see the moneys that have not been collected, it is not acceptable that people have to take to the streets to have a playground built in this day and age. Another point I will raise is that we have two fantastic football clubs, John Vianney FC and Kilmore Celtic FC. The two clubs have fantastic volunteers and one of them has 23 football teams These clubs and the young people playing with them have had to take to the streets. Two weeks ago they took to the streets to highlight the need for them to have a playing pitch.

It is madness. We must support these people, particularly those in our communities who are supporting our young people and keeping them in sport. These clubs have been fighting for these facilities for years. I know there are many other Deputies throughout Dublin experiencing the same issue in their areas with similar projects. Surely this money should be provided to our communities to support these groups.

Dublin has been found wanting with regard to quality public building and spaces for recreational use. The lack of such spaces chips away at the sense of community and ownership in our areas. The results of the census published last summer highlight the pace at which the population has grown across the State. As expected, the larger urban centres have seen the most significant shifts but less densely populated areas are also beginning to see real growth. I suspect this is driven by crazy house prices, with lower income families not able to afford to buy a property in the places they live. They are probably moving away from the cities as remote working becomes the norm.

Some of my colleagues may speak to this matter in detail but it is important that development plans for the coming decades are more reflective of recreational spaces and more considerate of the services our communities require. Local authorities must be empowered and financially resourced. Likewise, councillors must be trusted to make the right decisions for the areas they represent. For far too long, we have seen the role of councillors and local authorities reduced to just local administration with all the power lying with local government. Councillors working for the people of Kildare, Cork or Galway know their areas best and want to act in the interests of the people who elect them. We must look at a better way of doing things when it comes to mapping out new communities and make our best efforts to improve existing communities that lack amenities. A step change is needed at local level to ensure we are building sustainable communities and empowering those living within them to take real ownership of and pride in where they live.

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