Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for affording me the opportunity to raise this issue. This relates to the town centre development in Naas, development of which has been suspended for the past seven or eight years much to the detriment of the image of the town. Naas is one of the most progressive provincial towns in the country. It has always been a go-getter in terms of business and it is still. The people of Naas promote their town to best national and international standards and the chamber does likewise in association with them. However, one of the obstacles in the promotion of Naas as a place to live, work, shop and do business are the cranes in suspension over it for a long period of time. This was supposed to be an iconic town centre development and it would have been had it taken place but now it has fallen into decay. This has occurred because the various agencies involved do not seem to be in a position to co-ordinate their efforts to get the operation moving again.

I have tabled a number of questions over the past six months or so in this House in an effort to focus attention on the need for the Minister of State to get involved and to encourage the local authority and various other bodies such as NAMA to get involved. They should be brought together in an effort to convince them of the urgent necessity to get the development moving again. It is not something that cannot be done. It can, will and has to be done. Two things will have to happen. The economic recovery, which applies throughout the country, will have to continue and it will. The other concerns the progress being made and confidence in the system to work.

Local people always look at their own town, main street or particular area to see if things are happening in they way they should. This is a classic example. It is right in the middle of the main street in the centre of the town. It is a showpiece for the town of Naas and it will become much more important in the future. There are a couple of other derelict sites around but this one in particular needs to be dealt with at the earliest possible date. Will the Minister of State use his good offices to engage with the various agencies involved with a view to finding out what is required in order to move the project forward? If there are obstacles that cannot be resolved let us know about them now, but we should concentrate on those that can be resolved and get the development moving again.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to outline the position regarding the town centre development in Naas. The management of issues in regard to town centres is a matter for the relevant local authority. From inquiries made with Kildare County Council in this case, I am informed that its involvement in the Naas town centre development relates to the compulsory acquisition of two small parcels of land. An issue relating to the amount to be paid by the local authority to the landowners involved has arisen and I understand this will go to arbitration in October or November of this year. The rest of the town centre development is under the control of NAMA, with Kildare County Council precluded from involvement. NAMA reports to the Minister for Finance on its activities.

My role, as Minister of State, is to develop urban policy in general and not to intervene directly in individual town centre developments. As the Deputy will be aware, national urban policy is progressed predominantly by my Department through the local authority sector. The Department's 2002 national spatial strategy provided a strategic spatial planning framework which aimed to achieve a balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth between regions through the co-ordinated development of gateway cities and hub towns. Work is currently under way on the drafting of a successor to the national spatial strategy, with the legislative basis being prepared to place it on a statutory footing. It is envisaged that the successor strategy, to be entitled the National Planning Framework, will be in place by 2016.

A number of measures have been introduced by my Department in terms of specific urban policy initiatives to rejuvenate town centres in general. Local authorities were requested to reduce commercial rates and local charges to assist local businesses. Revised development contribution guidelines and guidelines on retail planning were introduced. The Government is also considering other urban development initiatives and supports as we speak. As the Deputy is aware, the Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill is currently going through the Houses of the Oireachtas and is presently in the Seanad. In terms of wider Government action providing assistance to retail businesses and stimulating economic activity in local communities, a number of measures were taken and have been set out for the Deputy in recent replies to his parliamentary questions.

The management of the stalled development in Naas is a matter for Kildare County Council in the first instance. I understand the frustration felt by the Deputy and many of the people in Naas because this development is stalled. However, with processes under way involving NAMA and arbitration, it would be improper for me at this time to contact the parties as requested. I hope the fact the Deputy has raised this issue on the floor of this House will refocus the minds to try to resolve any outstanding issues on this site.

I feel quite strongly about urban regeneration. We already have infrastructure and services in place in urban areas which have been paid for by the taxpayer. Deputy Durkan is correct in stating it is important that we do not have sites lying vacant in the middle of our towns and cities. I take on board the Deputy's concerns and frustrations but hope he understands, due to the arbitration process currently under way, that I cannot intervene at this time.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. What he has said is correct. The main purpose of raising the issue in this House is to focus the attention of those whose attention is supposed to be already focused on these issues with a view to bringing the matter up the scale to some extent and to encourage those involved in the arbitration process. I understand there is only one arbitrator to deal with cases of this kind in the whole country but I hope that is not the case. If it is there will be long waits for a great many people.

It should not be necessary to wait forever for something like this to happen. Seven or eight years is a long time for the people of Naas to look at an obsolete site, for want of a better description, and to see a crane sitting still on a site that is moving nowhere. It gives a bad impression of the area. It gives a bad feeling to the people who live in the area and it is a bad, although unintentional, advertisement for the area. As far as the people of the area are concerned, it is not their intention to advertise negatively the place in which they live. As I said earlier, Naas is one of the most progressive towns in the country and will continue to be so. However, it would be very helpful if all those agencies to which the Minister of State has already referred got involved and got their heads together as a matter of urgency to resolve the outstanding issues quickly as opposed to dragging them out for the longest possible time.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The Government is introducing the Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill which is designed specifically to encourage and stimulate the output of housing supply in our towns and cities. This is logical because existing public services are in place and we need to utilise them to the best of our ability. There are also provisions in the Bill for urban regeneration. The vacant site levy is a new mechanism, and power, for local authorities that identify strategic sites of high potential in town centres and cities.

I recognise what the Deputy is saying. This site has been lying vacant for seven or eight years and a number of outstanding issues need to be resolved.

In fact, there is a similar site on Michael Street in my city of Waterford. Again, it was a victim of the crash. It is an example of urban blight and decay in the middle of our towns. It is unacceptable. I call on the likes of NAMA or any interested agencies which have a stake in these sites to focus on them again and try to up their efforts to resolve any outstanding issues. It is unacceptable to have such sites in the middle of our town and cities. We all agree that proper planning and development should focus on the core of our towns and cities rather than replicate the mistakes of the past. We have seen the sprawling developments that literally affect the footfall in our towns, villages and cities.

I thank Deputy Durkan for raising the matter. I hope he understands that I cannot intervene in this particular case because of the arbitration issues. The Deputy mentioned there was only one arbitrator in the country. That is something I will get clarified for the Deputy. I would be rather surprised if that were the case. The matter needs to be clarified and I will do that for him.