Garret Kelleher (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta O'Sullivan, agus an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Cummins, a bhí sa Teach níos luaithe, as ucht teacht isteach chun an rún seo a phlé. It should be noted that Ireland is one of only a small number of European countries with a coherent and overarching plan for sustainable development. In general terms, I am supportive of both the revised national planning framework and Project Ireland 2040. With the significant population growth Ireland has been experiencing in recent decades and the challenges that this and future population growth presents in areas such as transport, renewable energy and climate action, it is vital that the national planning framework is comprehensive and inclusive of regional strategies, metropolitan area strategic plans and our 31 city and county local development plans. It is crucially important that the NPF specifically targets the delivery of key infrastructural projects that will dramatically transform the communities in which we live.

One concern I have relating to the NPF process to date is the lack of direct involvement from our three regional assemblies and the extent to which the suggestions made in the submissions of the three regional assemblies were included in the final draft of the NPF. The principle of subsidiarity is based on recognition that decisions impacting on our regions are best made at regional level and likewise that decisions impacting on our counties, cities, towns and rural areas are best made at local level. This point was made in a recent Council of Europe monitoring report, which recommended that Ireland should seek to reduce the current centralised nature of government by looking to strengthen both local and regional government throughout the country.

One of the national policy objectives in the revised national planning framework, NPO 95, states:

Metropolitan Area Strategic Plans for the Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford Metropolitan areas and in the cases of Dublin and Cork, to also address the wider city region, shall be reviewed by the Regional Assemblies in tandem with the appropriate authorities and as part of a review of the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy.

I welcome the inclusion of this objective but I take this opportunity to stress the importance of backing up the objective with budgetary commitments, particularly for projects identified as key priorities across each of our regions.

From a Cork perspective, we have just begun a public consultation process relating to the emerging preferred route for our new light rail or Luas system. If we are serious about balanced regional development and the importance of strategic capital investment outside of our capital city, it is vital that ambitious plans, such as Cork Luas, are supported by specific budgetary commitments and delivery timelines. This will boost public confidence and buy-in to hugely significant capital projects of this nature which, if delivered effectively, will transform the way we live.

Meaningful and closer co-operation with our three regional assemblies and with our 31 local authorities - given the local and regional knowledge and expertise that they possess - will inevitably result in more effective delivery of the key projects we seek to deliver for our communities and regions under the national planning framework, the national development plan and Project Ireland 2040.