Galway West TD Noel Grealish told the Dáil this week that the “never ending saga” of the Galway City Ring Road showed the need for a change in planning laws governing major infrastructural projects.
Addressing Taoiseach Micheál Martin during Leaders’ Questions on Tuesday, he said: “The Taoiseach was in Galway last Friday for a number of engagements and he heard about the importance of the road for inward investment. I was at one such function where this was mentioned.
“The Taoiseach saw at first hand the chronic traffic the people of Galway city and county deal with on a daily basis. Why does it take so long for these major infrastructural projects to get through the planning process?”
Pointing out that the first project he encountered after his election to Galway County Council in 1999 was the Galway City Outer Bypass, Deputy Grealish said that €14.7 had been spent on that project before it was abandoned following a European Court ruling. More than €21.3m had been spent on the current project.
“This means more than €35 million has been spent so far on finding a solution that seems no closer now than it ever was. Technically, we are back to square one after 23 years.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he understood the genuine disappointment with the latest developments in this project.
“Galway is suffering extreme congestion in the city centre and increased journey times, as I have experienced myself. The ring road has the potential to reroute traffic from the city and alleviate capacity constraints.”
Mr Martin added that a review of planning legislation was now moving to the drafting stage, and a Bill was expected to be brought to the Government and published by the end of the year.
“It would be premature to comment on any potential outcomes of the review until it is complete, but one of its key aims will be to put plan-making at the centre of the planning system.
“It will also focus on bringing increased clarity and streamlining to planning legislation and improving the functioning of the planning system for both practitioners and the general public, given that it is 20 years since its enactment,” he said.
Responding, Deputy Grealish said that for the past seven and a half years, 54 families whose houses are to be demolished or bought out if the road gets the go ahead had been “prisoners in their homes”.
“They cannot sell their properties because who would buy a house where there is a proposal to demolish it? There is little point in spending money on improvements.
“The families were told to sit and wait for seven and a half years. Over the past few years, I have met many of these families who wanted to downsize but could not sell their homes.
“Any new planning laws that are brought forward to fast-track major infrastructure projects must take into account family homes due to be demolished. People cannot be left in limbo for years on end.
“If new planning laws are brought forward, will they include provisions to ensure that homeowners directly affected by any major infrastructural projects will not be prisoners in their houses for years while such projects go through the planning process?” he added.
