John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the publication of the revised framework. It has been somewhat signposted as part of our response to the housing crisis. I hope it will have that impact as it goes on in the alignment between national, regional and local planning policy.

The revised framework reaffirms the commitment of the 2018 framework to balanced regional development, where 50% of the population's employment growth will be shared between the Dublin and eastern region and the rest of the country, essentially, through the north, western and southern regional assemblies. The great challenge for this Government and for subsequent Governments with this plan is whether we can realise that desire for regional balanced development with our Exchequer commitments. A certain number of submissions to the revised framework noted that this has not happened since the publication of the 2018 framework. The Planning Regulator, a State authority, noted that this document goes some way towards bringing the country to the point where we will have that type of regional balance, but it will be a matter for Government to hold to that objective from a number of frameworks. You would imagine that one of the frameworks could be from the Exchequer and the development of projects included in the national development plan. Similarly, the Irish Planning Institute stated that the framework had a laudable emphasis on limiting the dominance of Dublin and the midland region on other regions but, unfortunately, since 2018, we have seen a business as usual approach that has allowed for the Exchequer to prioritise projects in Dublin and the east as opposed to the rest of the country. That is the great challenge for us. It is to be hoped that subsequent to the publication of the framework, we will see the Exchequer imbalance also being addressed.

To be somewhat more parochial, the document states that Galway city has grown at a level somewhat below the national average since 2016 whereas the other regional cities have grown at a level slightly above it. That is concerning, particularly when one considers that in the previous two decades Galway grew at a somewhat greater level than other cities, particularly the regional cities. I wonder why this is happening. One of the challenges in Galway is the MASP framework. Galway has a particular challenge that the area covered by the MASP is divided between two local authorities, namely the city council and the county council. That is not the case in Waterford or in Cork. In Limerick, it exists to a different degree somewhat whereby the MASP area probably runs into some parts of County Clare.

The MASP is causing a problem in Galway, and this not gone unnoticed by the local authorities. Galway City Council, when it made a submission in respect of Galway County Council's development plan, noted that there is an overly generous residential zoning in the county MASP area that will greatly undermine the vision for success for the overall city and county MASP area, which, despite the ambitious targets, needs to be driven by compact development, regeneration and strengthening of the existing urban area. Galway County Council, in its submission to the planning framework, has sought greater clarity in respect of Galway County Council's role within the Galway MASP area. The regional social and economic strategy also notes that it will now be necessary for the Government to develop some mechanism that will link Galway City Council, Galway County Council, the regional assembly and the Departments of housing and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. We need that. We need the Department to take a stand in that regard. We might need to legislate for that because there is uncertainty as to where responsibility for the development in the MASP area lies. The ambition we had regarding the framework put in place in 2018 has not been realised.

The other great issue, of course, is that there no form of financial backing. There is no funding for the MASP area, and that is causing concern as well. I ask the Minister to look at that. Subsequent to the publication of the framework, there might be a need to legislate in this regard. There is certainly need for the Department to take the lead or to issue a circular on it.

If I look at some of the key enablers for Galway in the revised framework, they are remarkably similar to those contained in the original framework. This might suggest that we have seen little progress on some of them. Those mentioned by previous speakers very much relate to transport. Deputy O'Gorman noted that a particular rail project in Limerick is not mentioned in the framework. However, the key enablers for Galway are the only ones devoid of any reference to rail. There is reference to rail in terms of Waterford, Cork and Limerick. However, despite the fact that Galway City Council's submission noted the great potential for transport-orientated development along the rail track between Galway and Athenry, there is no mention of it in the key enablers for Galway. That is very disappointing. I hope this will be rectified in the national development plan. Will the Minister of State see to it that an ambition to implement the outcome of the strategic rail review in relation to Galway and to double the rail track to Athenry and develop the track between it and Tuam is included in the national development plan?

I welcome the fact that the Minister ignored the NTA's submission in which it sought to exclude the reference to the Galway metropolitan area transport strategy. Deputy Catherine Connolly stated that there was no mention of light rail for Galway. However, the metropolitan area transport strategy should state, as was outlined in the study carried out before Christmas, that there is potential for light rail in Galway. I think that is covered there. I was disappointed that the NTA sought to eliminate reference to the Galway metropolitan area transport strategy, but, in fairness to the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, and the Minister, it has been left in. It is time for the NTA to complete its work, particularly in the context of the only area of the city in respect of which there has been no review of the transport strategy. Galway needs such a review now. Will the Minister of State make sure it happens?

I echo the sentiments expressed in respect of the Galway city ring road.

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