Yesterday, we had the publication of the National Development Plan Review 2025 - Securing Ireland’s Future Sectoral Investment Plan: Transport. A number of bypasses are needed in County Laois but it looks like the whole county was bypassed for funding. The Tánaiste was down there this week last year, exactly 52 weeks ago, canvassing for the general election. Huge housing developments are needed in Laois. There has been rapid population growth in the county. It has been one of the top three counties in terms of population growth in the last three years. There is huge pent-up demand for housing and for infrastructure but we cannot have the housing without the infrastructure. Throughout the county, there is a need for roads, water services, wastewater services, sewerage services and electricity services to be expanded. The national development plan review published yesterday has approximately €202 billion in capital funding between now and 2030. On 22 July, the Tánaiste said we were prioritising investment in water, energy and transport and laying the groundwork for 300,000 new homes. That is 50,000 a year. The Government will not be able to do it. It prioritised Laois but I will come back to that. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has set out in its recent national planning framework document the projected need for 1,244 additional houses per annum in County Laois, on top of what is already being provided. This is a huge expansion in population. A 35% increase in population over the next nine years is what is being projected. This comes on top of five years of very rapid growth. As I said, the county is in the top three in terms of population expansion. Now, the local authorities are being asked to zone huge tracts of land. Without it being serviced, this land will be useless. People will have to get in and out by helicopter because there will not be roads. The infrastructure is required or it will stall these housing projects. It is not possible to build 1,200 or 1,300 houses per year unless these projects go ahead. The roads that are critically needed are the Portlaoise northern orbital route and the Mountmellick relief road, which is critical, as the Tánaiste saw himself when he was down last year. To open up all that land, particularly across the north and west of Portlaoise, the northern orbital route is required. Water services need to be expanded according to Uisce Éireann and the document I have here. All the red lines in this document show where they are needed throughout the county. Graiguecullen, Borris-in-Ossory, Ballinakill, The Swan and Timahoe need wastewater improvements, while Portarlington, Durrow, Mountrath, Stradbally, Rathdowney and Ballylinan need expansion in water supply. It is critical that we have this infrastructure for the council and private developers to be able to provide the housing. Will the Tánaiste go back to the drawing board with this review and ensure that Laois receives some funding, particularly for the Portlaoise northern orbital route and the Mountmellick relief road but also for the expansion of wastewater and water services? We cannot have houses unless we have services. It cannot be done. We also need to relieve the congestion on the N80, and that can only be done by the Mountmellick relief road and the northern orbital route in Portlaoise.

Sentiment score: 0.15

There were big promises made.

Sentiment score: 0.38

I thank the Tánaiste. There is no point in the Department of local government, under the Minister, Deputy James Browne, publishing lists like this and projecting huge growth for a county unless the infrastructure goes in along with it. I did not mention the need for health centres, schools - the courthouse in Portlaoise as well, by the way - and many other things, such as flood relief schemes, that are needed in the county. If we are going to have sustainable development, we have to take transport into account. At the moment, with regard to the N80, trucks from the west and everywhere else have to wind their way through the narrow streets of Mountmellick and around the junction at Pearse Street, Patrick Street and Market Square, which the Tánaiste saw for himself. In Portlaoise, they have to go in under the railway bridge, which they sometimes get caught under, and in by the roundabout in the centre of the town. The road from the Mountmellick Road across has to be connected with the motorway on the north-eastern side of Portlaoise. I appeal to the Tánaiste to go back to the drawing board with this. I heard him say there may be other measures to come. There is a list on the back page of this document and, as he knows, when something is not listed on that, it is going to be a battle to do it. I ask the Tánaiste to make sure that happens and that the promises made before the election are kept.

Sentiment score: 0.17