Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

I thank Senator O'Meara for sharing time and I welcome the Minister to the House. I am concerned with the decision by An Bord Pleanála regarding the development adjacent to Lough Key forest park. As well as being a Senator from the area I am chairperson of the Lough Key forest park action group, and have been for seven years. We have seen the park decline. We have worked closely with Roscommon County Council and Coillte and now have an €8 million development on which the first sod will be turned next week by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue. That is very welcome.

The Newfound Consortium approached the council with a good, eco-friendly development which would involve €150 million being poured into an area which needs tourism. The consortium has already proved itself in the Humber Valley in Newfoundland, in Canada. The Minister knows of this consortium. Its members met the Taoiseach, and possibly the Minister and his officials. The consortium had the backing of the vast, cross-party majority of people in County Roscommon. It went about its business in a professional, enthusiastic manner and consulted closely with local people. However, the consortium's plan for a 100-bedroom hotel and 98 golf chalets was turned down by An Bord Pleanála. An observation or objection was made on behalf of the scientific section of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The nature of this objection was flawed. Everyone deserves due process and I ask the Minister to meet the consortium, listen to its fears and look at the nature of the objection made.

We will try to get the second planning permission on stream. Other issues have been alluded to by An Bord Pleanála, including concerns for the lesser horseshoe bat, and the Lough Key development plan. The crucial issue was the objection or observation made by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which scuppered the project.