Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for taking time to take this matter.

The decision by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, to place an embargo on Fingal County Council's spending accumulated planning levies is a disgrace. It is also of questionable legality. It has had an appalling effect on communities that have been working for, and had been promised, much-needed community based facilities.

One of those communities is the Brackenstown community. For years, residents of Brackenstown, Swords have been campaigning for and working towards the provision of their own community centre to meet the community, sporting and recreational needs of the area.

Brackenstown parish includes St. Cronan's, Abbeylea, Ardcian, Brackenstown itself, Daleview, Elmwood, Glasmore, Rathbeale, Oakwood, St. Columba's, Windmill Lands, Swords Manor, Ormonde, Berwick, Abbeyvale, Parkview, Pinegrove, Applewood, Knocksedan, Lioscian, Bunbury Gate and Mooretown. It has in the region of 3,600 houses, with an estimated population of 15,000.

For a long time the local soccer club, Swords Manor, had no pitches. Pitches have now been provided by the local authority, but they still have no proper dressing room facilities. The only facilities available in the area are provided by BASE, Brackenstown Adult Scene of Education, which provides rooms for community activities. Facilities for the youth of the area are totally inadequate.

Those young people who are not interested in sport are hanging around and open to the temptation of anti-social behaviour and possibly more serious crime. Parents in the area are extremely worried about that possibility. The local community has been involved in local fund-raising over the years, and Fingal County Council has responded to the situation after a long battle by local activists and public representatives of all parties.

Following many difficulties a site was identified and commitments were given by Fingal County Council. Community leaders and activists were told that they are top of the list of priorities for community facilities in the area. Moneys were identified and ring-fenced for the project. Approval was given for the project by the council and councillors. Planning permission was lodged and granted last year.

Expectation grew that the first sod was to be turned in September of this year, but then the rug was pulled from under the community by the Department. A directive was issued by the Minister that moneys collected in development levies relating to previous years, and banked for those specific purposes, could not be spent. That is nothing short of a disgrace. It is a scandal. As I said previously, in my view it is of questionable legality.

The council has the money which it has raised from development levies. It wants to spend it on this project, but the Minister has frozen it. Where does subsidiarity come into it? Why is the Minister not allowing the council to manage its own affairs? It is quite capable of doing so in my view, and I know this council very well.

We all know that housing developments eventually result in communities. How long should they have to wait for community facilities? The first estate in this area was built in 1973. Development levies are part of the planning process and are an important resource for local authorities to provide community facilities.

On the day the Minister has brought the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill through the Houses and into law, I call on him to lift the embargo immediately and allow this much-needed facility to go ahead without further delay.

The Brackenstown community is waiting long enough. All the community groups are signed up. They have a viable business plan which has been accepted by the council. They are ready to go, as is Fingal County Council. I ask the Minister to let them off and give them the go-ahead.

I spoke to an activist from Brackenstown today and asked her what she would like me to say to the Minister on this matter tonight. She said:

Ask him to think of the young people of the area now. Our children are disillusioned. Tell him that I fear what will happen in the area over the next number of years.

I ask the Minister to do the right thing for Brackenstown, and do it quickly.