Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Government's objective is to have balanced regional development across the country, and the national planning framework sets out the Government's objective for this with 50% of population growth targeted outside our major cities. The NPR is currently under review by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Our Rural Future, the Government's rural development plan, supports the vision for balanced regional development, including in the northern and western region.

On the planning Bill, one thing that will help is large infrastructure projects, including rail lines. My party would certainly like to see the rail line expanded to the north and west of the country as well. I would also flag the progress with broadband that has opened up things for people to move back to rural Ireland. I recall some data from Pobal post Covid which showed there was a movement from urban areas to the west of the country, at least up to 2022. What has happened in the last two years I cannot point to but I will point to the expansion of Local Link services across the country as well. There is a long way to go on them but we have had a good two years on the expansion of Local Link nationally.

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