Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is unrealistic to expect a national plan to be reviewed yearly. It will be evaluated constantly by various stakeholders from local authorities to regional assemblies, Departments and the national Parliament. Through our parliamentary work, we will continuously evaluate the national planning framework to see how it is working. On a statutory basis, it is correct that we review it and adopt a new plan every six years, similar to the way in which a local area plan or a county or city development plan is adopted. I have heard other speakers talk about the ambitions of the national planning framework to grow the population in large urban centres. I know that the Minister of State has engaged deeply on the aspirations of Waterford city to be a new growth centre in the south east. There is real potential there, as Senators Kevin Humphreys, Jerry Buttimer and others have said about Cork. The north quays in Waterford city have been identified as a strategic development zone, on which there has been huge engagement, consultation and discussion conducted by the local authority with the public, all of the various arms and agencies and stakeholders. It is ripe for development to grow the city in a sustainable way. It is welcome that the Minister of State is supportive of the development.