Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

While some aspects of this legislation are worthwhile, overall, its timing is a joke, akin to shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. It would have been useful during the property bubble, as the Minister referred to it. While Senator Coffey outlined Fine Gael's position on the legislation, I want to raise the issue of councillors being criticised by the Minister. I welcome Senator Ormonde's endorsement of county councillors. As Members elected by county councillors, we are acutely aware of the work they do. The Minister went to great lengths to say how much he respected those involved in planning departments across the country. However, he never spoke about how hard working many local authority members could be.

During the debate on NAMA the Minister spoke about the local authority in Athlone. Senator Glynn was quick to point out that there was enough land zoned in Athlone to cater for local needs up to 2069. The Senator plucked that figure from nowhere because I certainly do not have divine knowledge of how land will be developed and used in Athlone. I hope we will have more responsible and less reckless lending than in the past. The Minister criticised Athlone, even when his party was most welcome there at its conference. I was gobsmacked when he asked if the Mullingar accord had brought about a fair deal for the people of County Westmeath and their families. I was a member of the local authority when the national spatial strategy was first mooted. Athlone and Mullingar were given the welcome status of gateway towns. It is not that you are not welcome, a Chathaoirligh, but political involvement meant Tullamore had to be included. It was important that the three main population centres in the region were connected. The Minister claims everything must come back to the national spatial strategy. We must bear in mind, however, that the plan has never been approved by the Oireachtas. Where the Minister is coming from just beggars belief.

The national spatial strategy recommended that enough land be zoned to meet developmental requirements. This was at a time when the population of Mullingar had increased by 18% and Athlone by 22%. While I agree with the Minister's criticisms about the way development has occurred, he did not comment on the Westmeath county development plan in the way he commented on those for counties Mayo and Monaghan. How dare he criticise our county, particularly when one recalls the shenanigans in the Dublin area with the Ray Burkes, Liam Lawlors and Frank Dunlops of this world, members of the party with which the Minister is now in government?