Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to speak about Drimnagh in the context of the housing crisis and planning and development in our capital city. Drimnagh lies between Crumlin, Inchicore and the Grand Canal and has a population of approximately 12,000. Ten years ago, Dublin City Council highlighted the need to ensure the proper development of amenities in this part of the city and to ensure that potential development sites were fully serviced. The council spent €140,000 on the Drimnagh area development plan, which was then shelved. I ask the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to put this area development plan back on the agenda. There are many sites along the canal on Davitt Road and near Crumlin Shopping Centre that could be developed for housing. With proper planning and investment, Drimnagh could be an even better part of our city than it is currently. It could be made even more beautiful, with better utilisation of the canal. Consideration could be given to developing canal walks and to ways of increasing biodiversity. I ask the Minister to urge the council to revisit its plan so that we can maximise the potential of an area that is an integral part of Dublin city.

I also wish to refer to a matter I raised previously regarding school building issues. As we know, two affected schools in Tyrrelstown and another in Lucan have not reopened. The Minister has made various statements regarding how this came to pass. Two weeks ago, I asked whether the Department has its own engineers to inspect new school buildings, which would be the norm with other State projects. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Skills to the House to explain what is happening in the context of school closures and the structural defects that may affect up to 42 schools.

The final matter I wish to raise relates to in our emergency departments. The Taoiseach indicated yesterday that doctors and nurses should not take holidays over the Christmas period. That is ironic, particularly in view of the fact that last year he jetted off to Miami to get some winter sun. A ban on Christmas leave is not the solution. We need to see a proper plan to address what we know is coming down the line for our health service. We know that there will be serious problems in our emergency departments with increased patient numbers over the winter months. Glib comments like those made by the Taoiseach yesterday will not help at all. I ask the Leader to comment on that issue.