Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)

I raise a planning issue concerning the N56, in particular, the lack of access to the N56, which remains a serious challenge for the communities in south-west Donegal. At present, many people living at home and away want to come home and build on their local farm or along the N56, but they cannot get planning permission along the road. This is totally wrong. We need the Government to intervene to convince the TII this policy is unsustainable and does not work in rural Ireland. We need planning along our major roads to get our young people to stay in our towns and support our football teams and everything going on in the community. We need to get the Minister in to the House to ask him why this policy is in place. I ask that the Minister would come to the House in order that we can ask him why this is happening. We need to get this changed for the rural communities, not just in Donegal but elsewhere in Ireland where planning permission beside the road cannot be got. I hope he will come in soon and we can get this sorted.

I also wish Jim McGuinness and the boys all the best on Sunday. I hope it will be a good day.