Michael D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We need to be inventive in how we reinvigorate those areas that have over-developed too fast. Of that €200 million I am hopeful, before the ink is dry on anything, that instead of it simply going for X, Y and Z as we have itemised we should initiate a number of pilot projects both in urban and rural Ireland in terms of towns and villages that over-developed. The developers are bankrupt and are in NAMA but NAMA does not or will not provide the funds, whichever is the case. In conjunction with funding from NAMA we could advance a number of those pilot projects to show the people in those areas that have been over-developed without the correct services, including footpaths and street lighting, that the local authorities do not have the funding to put in place. If we put a pilot project in place we could put a larger scheme in place from that. That would show the people living in poorly developed areas that the State will intervene. I ask the Minister that this be considered for the future as well as allocating a few million euro to the pilot project.