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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: The witness mentioned in his report that there were some towns that self-selected. He mentioned Portlaoise, for example, which did not necessarily have the same emphasis in the national spatial plan but had its own massive growth. I ask for the witness's views on that. Much of the demographic growth has happened in smaller towns around the country.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: In a way, one could say that they are self-selecting in a similar manner to which Portlaoise self-selected.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: The witness mentioned the new regional assemblies. Could he tell us a little bit about them? From the vantage point of Leinster House, it is very hard to see how they function and what addition they are delivering.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I have one final question. The witness alluded to the Dublin-Belfast corridor earlier. I know that he is involved with the advice to Government on the development of it. Is it the case that we are looking at this on an all-Ireland basis? Some of the figures in the witness's report indicate that the western Border area has had some of the largest falls in population. That creates a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Deputy Ó Cuív has indicated that he would like to come in again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Deputy, there were ten minutes for questions. Nine minutes have been taken up and the witness has only had 30 seconds to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: We have had 15 minutes on this and I have a couple of questions. In many ways, the problems that Deputy Ó Cuív-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Okay. In many ways, the questions that Deputy Ó Cuív asks are as a result of the lack of spatial planning. They are as a result of the rudderless experience that we have. Ireland will have a population of about 10 million people in 2050. There is going to be significant population growth. The question with which we are faced is where to locate people. The current spatial plan...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: County Meath. More people left Meath to go to work outside the county than actually worked inside the county this morning. It is the only local authority area in the State where the majority of workers leave that local authority area to work. The majority stays within a local authority area everywhere else. As Navan is the biggest town in the country without a rail line, we do not even...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: There has been little or no investment in heavy rail line building in Ireland for the last 15 years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: We have pushed and pushed it. One of the last projects was the project Dr. Hughes mentioned, between Limerick and Galway. Unfortunately, that happened at the same time as the motorway being built. It was slower than the motorway and therefore was not selected by commuters and passenger numbers are low there. I have no doubt but that were one built to Navan, it would massively reduce the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: There is a freight line from Tara Mines, which has the effect of taking about 40 HGVs off the road a day, so it is a great addition. We have asked the Government to consider putting a passenger line back into Drogheda, which would give it access to the Dublin to Belfast corridor. The Government's view is the length of time it would take to take the journey would not allow for take-up. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I thank Dr. Hughes for appearing before our committee today. The information he has given to us will become part of the report we are writing. We wish him luck with his advice to the Government in the development of its report.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: We will now consider the topic of the granting of planning permission in rural areas and the national spatial strategy for 2002 to 2020 and its successor within the context of the committee's current project - what it takes to sustain a viable rural community - with representatives from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. I welcome the following witnesses who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: There is a strong sense that spatial planning in this State is defunct, that the 2002 spatial plan was jettisoned very shortly after it was created and that there is nearly a free-for-all with regard to development. That development is creating great difficulties for places like Dublin because of overheating and difficulties involving services in Dublin. It also creates great difficulties...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I apologise for interrupting Mr. Cussen. I have asked a heap of questions about this but I do not know whether we are prioritising regional infrastructural development or not. Can we say that per capita, more investment goes on infrastructure outside Dublin than in Dublin? Are those figures available to us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Would Mr. Cussen know?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: This particular research has shown that these young families need two incomes and locate where the work was, so that work was the primary decision.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: We are running out of time so this is my last question. Do the witnesses have any idea whether the NPF is going down the route of a few small centres of growth along the west coast or will it be a case of one for everybody in the audience?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Who would like to take that question?