Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for the way she articulated the case for Drogheda to become a city. Clearly it is her home town - or city - and she is very proud of it. This came across incredibly well. She is proud of the progress that it has made but she has also identified some challenges which she sees city status as a key way of overcoming. I will outline the Department’s position and rationale, as well as some opportunities for future discussions.

Project Ireland 2040 is the overarching planning and investment framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland. The national planning framework, NPF, together with the 2021 national development plan, NDP, combine to form Project Ireland 2040. The NPF sets out a vision and strategy for the spatial development of Ireland to 2040. It recognises the strategic importance of Drogheda. It aims to support its development and its economic potential as part of the Dublin-Belfast corridor, which the Senator referenced, and, in particular, as part of the core Drogheda-Dundalk-Newry network. This strategy targets significant growth into the regional growth centres, including Drogheda, to enable them to act as regional drivers.The revised NPF was approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. This concluded the revision process and allows the revised NPF to take effect in the planning system. The NPF aims for a roughly 50:50 distribution of growth between the eastern and midland region, and the southern, northern and western regions combined, with 75% of the growth to take place outside of Dublin and its suburbs. The revised NPF retains the strategy approach to Drogheda in relation to its role as a regional driver. Drogheda's role is also reflected at a regional level in the regional, spatial and economic strategy for the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly area.

Local authority areas are specified in primary legislation. The Local Government Act 2001 currently provides for three cities, namely Cork, Dublin and Galway, and for each of these cities to have a city council. If an additional city council were to be established, it would have significant implications for the county in which the area concerned is situated, particularly around loss of functions of the relevant county council. Creation of a Drogheda city local authority would have a major impact on County Louth, leaving the county council with much reduced territorial jurisdiction, population and resources. This would be further complicated by the fact that the area being proposed for Drogheda to qualify as a city includes part of County Meath. For a city council to be established, provision will have to be made for this and other consequential matters in the relevant legislation. At the moment, there are no plans for legislation in this regard.

We need to be clear what exactly the Senator is looking for. I can see the complications in terms of a separate local authority for Drogheda and how it impacts County Louth and that local authority. I have seen a similar situation happen in County Cork where the city boundary expanded, and it had a detrimental impact on the county. However, there is precedence where city and county councils are merged, like in Limerick and Waterford. It is important that we learn from the experience there. Is it the local authority element of the city recognition that the Senator is looking for or is it the potential to give status to Drogheda, similar to Kilkenny city, which also has city status, but to keep working within Louth council local authority? There is potential for discussion on the future of Drogheda, and we might develop that further.