Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senators for their contributions to today's debate. While the spatial strategy has only been in place for two years and was always intended to constitute a long-term policy, some speakers have sought to convey the impression that everything should be achieved within a short space of time. A great deal of progress has been made to spread the message and embed the strategy in the plans and programmes of Departments, Government agencies and wider regional and local authority structures. The first act had to be to ensure that all Government agencies fell into line with the strategy and recognised the need to implement it in their various national, regional and local plans.

Looking forward, it is timely to recall the fundamental objectives of the spatial strategy and pursue the further measures required to support them practically. I feel confident that the important gateway investment priority study, commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in co-operation with Forfás, will be taken on board by Government and have a significant influence on investment priorities into the future. While a number of gateways have put in place the development frameworks, including land-use policies, required to transmit the message of the strategy, others have not. All such frameworks will be in place by the end of 2005. The nationwide adoption of regional planning guidelines will be followed by their implementation in the statutory planning functions of local authorities. The guidelines will have a strong influence in the determination of investment priorities by Departments and agencies.

Substantial progress has been made on the major infrastructural projects which constitute a key element in the roll-out of the strategy. The first phase of the regional broadband programme to construct broadband networks in 19 towns and cities has been completed. Phase 2 will bring broadband to more than 90 towns with populations greater than 1,500 over the next three years. The group broadband scheme offers up to 50% of the funding required to meet the costs of establishing broadband connectivity for rural communities and towns with populations of less than 1,500.

Many of the speakers to whom I listened since I arrived emphasised infrastructure. Extensive infrastructural development has not taken place only in Dublin or the east in general. Major sewerage treatment plants have commenced operations in the past 12 months in Cork, Limerick and Galway and will facilitate continued development in these gateways. The pace of the national roads programme is being maintained and anyone who travels around Ireland will be aware of the excellent roads which have been constructed as a result of a significant investment of almost €8 billion over the past seven to eight years.

Key projects completed in the past year alone include phase 1 of the Limerick southern ring-road and the Monasterevin, Cashel and Ballincollig bypasses, none of which is in the Dublin area. Projects which are under way include bypasses at Ennis, Sligo, Dundalk and Fermoy and national secondary bypasses in Cavan and Mullingar. It is interesting that on the day the House debates this matter, the NRA is launching its investment programme of €1.4 billion for road infrastructure in 2005. My Department has already announced a record provision of €500 million for non-national roads. A significant level of investment is being made.

Perhaps politicians are all the same and act in a similar way on different issues. We call constantly for development and infrastructure but when it is provided we run scared and side with objectors. We must be reasonably consistent. To demand of the Government that it provide something and to suggest one does not want it when it comes is inconsistent. Senator Bannon said earlier that the Government was dragging its feet on the M3. While I am glad the Fine Gael candidate in the Meath by-election is in favour of the proposed motorway, very mixed signals have come from the party over the years all the way from the very top. People did not know whether they wanted the road. I hear Fine Gael is now in bed with the Labour Party which is absolutely against the development and maintains it will happen over its dead body. I do not know how long the marriage will last.