Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

It is welcome that the new accident and emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes' Hospital in Drogheda is opening today. This is one of the most important hospitals in the north east and 7,000 children were born there last year. I believe one of our Members became the parent of a baby in the hospital just yesterday. The new extension, which cost €11 million, will be able to treat up to three times as many accident and emergency patients as it did previously. That is great news for the region and the hospital after the bad press it has received of late. Let us hope this new development allows the hospital to turn a corner and look forward to a bright future.

Yesterday the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, announced a review of the planning procedures of six local authorities, including Dublin and my county of Meath, perhaps with a view to increasing his party's position in the polls to 2% or 3%. The Minister's action is somewhat high-handed. We are all aware from our debate on the planning and development legislation that many councils are concerned about the way he enforces his opinions without attempting to include them.

It is a bit late in the day to be conducting a review given that many of the problems with planning in this country arose during the 1990s and the vast majority of counties have cleared up their acts since. We need to know what this review will comprise and whether it will merely be a paper exercise rather than invoking powers of censure. It appears to be a simple naming and shaming exercise by the Minister. I do not want to prejudge the outcome of the review but it is important that we have an opportunity to debate its findings.