Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Brady for sharing his time with me. I welcome the Minister of State and thank him and the Minister for the Environment and Local Government for bringing forward this excellent document into which much time and effort has gone. It is a fine spatial strategy with which to shape the country. We have to start from the point at which we are at.

I can only speak from the Dublin perspective. There is traffic gridlock while the city is over-populated. Opportunities are being lost because many cannot get into the city while many hours are wasted in travelling to and from work. The key words coming through are: people, quality of life, job opportunities and spread. The strategy incorporates these concepts into the future planning of the country's development with a view to adopting an integrated approach to how people can best follow a way of life that complements them and their families while availing of job opportunities where they choose to live rather than being forced to travel for hours each day to and from work.

I welcome the framework document which covers a period of 20 years which I hope is the maximum period in which it will be completed. We are now beginning to shape up the future. The concepts are in place in terms of the gateways and key areas. From these key areas how can we stimulate and spread growth to the hubs? We must get the people out of Dublin where we have our business parks. Many young people come to me and say they want a job but not in Dublin where they cannot afford to buy a house. Supply and demand are top heavy in Dublin and must be spread. There is traffic gridlock, floods and a concrete jungle, all of which have a huge impact on the environment. There are no open spaces or greenery. Unless we call a halt, there will be no green belt left between urban and rural areas. It is important, therefore, that this document be implemented immediately to enable a redistribution of wealth and people to all areas of the country. It will do just that.

I thank the Government for its foresight and vision in planning this document which has been a long time coming, since the 1960s. Now that we have it, let us make it work. We have to make it work because it is the only way forward. There must be growth centres in all corners of the country. These must be the prime locations from which to branch out. We must have our business parks and job opportunities. Our planning must be right in order that everything will come together in a proper integrated way which allows for infrastructure, hospitals, schools, roads, etc.