Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. Looking at the issue objectively, if one was living in Cork or Donegal and examined the process, one would see there was a planning application, that there were oral hearings and that An Bord Pleanála would then make its decision. One would think it was a fair and detailed process. However, it is only when one is close to it that one sees what happens. Only those on the ground see it. Monaghan County Council raised concerns when the first application was made, but they were not addressed. It raised them again when the second application was made, but they were still not addressed. An Bord Pleanála reached a decision on an issue, in spite of the fact that concerns raised by Monaghan County Council had yet to be resolved. I appreciate that the Minister of State has outlined the legal constraints within which he has to operate, but it is important that the issue be examined as the people of counties Monaghan, Cavan and Meath feel wronged by the decision. Given the improvements in technology, the entire project must be looked at again. I assure the Minister of State that, as far as the people of these three counties are concerned, the project will not see the light of day in its current guise, judging from what I hear on the ground.