Larry Butler (Fianna Fail)

I wish to raise an issue I believe will be extremely important in the future. Local authorities are not prepared and certainly are not well organised in respect of inward investment that comes into a county. I call on the Leader to ask the Minister for a debate in this regard. I note that IKEA, which is a fantastic company, is about to open in Ballymun with the creation of 500 jobs. However, it took three years to organise that development with the local authorities in respect of putting in place a road system to suit the project. I agree with the comments of my colleague, Senator O'Sullivan, regarding the Shannon Development Company, which plans ahead. However, local authorities do not plan ahead for inward investment, which should be on top of the agenda.

Sandyford Industrial Estate is an example of how development should take place. However, inefficiencies also exist in that industrial estate, whereby southern access to the motorway still is not in place, which is due to local authority planning. Having been a member of that local authority for many years, I know it does not plan ahead sufficiently. I call on the Minister to come before the House and debate this issue, namely, how to get local authorities up to speed regarding likely developments. For example, in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council's area, the Beacon Clinic would not have been developed without proper planning and appropriate zoning. Therefore, I seek a debate in this regard because this pertains to jobs. While Members talk about jobs here every morning, employment is the most important issue they will be obliged to consider for the next five years.