Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

The Minister seems to be at cross-purposes regarding this because if what the Minister is saying is correct, why is a new section being inserted in the Bill? I have a difficulty with this. The Minister is erroneous in his view that Fine Gael is opposed to the national spatial strategy. It is not, but who endorses it? Who writes it? Where are the checks and balances in the national spatial strategy? It is not endorsed in the council or in the Oireachtas. Does it come before the environment or transport committees in the Oireachtas? Where is it scrutinised? All of us understand the issue of the hub towns and cities and the gateways. There is no difficulty with that. The difficulty, as Senator Coffey said, is in the formulation of policy. My difficulty with this section is that a small area is being excluded as the Bill refers to a population in excess of 2,000 persons and less than 5,000.