Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

Last January we changed our planning laws to facilitate the location in Ireland of an IKEA store by lifting the cap on retail warehouses in certain designated areas. The Minister warned us at the time that if we did not do so, there was a danger that IKEA would locate in the North. We learned yesterday that IKEA intends to locate a megastore in Belfast. In addition, we have learned that the company is now prepared to open smaller stores in Britain.

It appears we changed our planning laws on a spurious basis. We should tread carefully before ever again taking on board the claims of any large company. The common good must win out, not the dishonest posturing of any company, however large, which is prepared to ride roughshod over our environment. We have seen the result in this case.