"Waterford left out of national planning framework" - McGuinness 

Sinn Féin TD for Waterford and party spokesperson on Rural Affairs, Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Conor D. McGuinness, has said the revised National Planning Framework "exposes" the Government’s disregard for the needs of Waterford and the South East.

Commenting on the matter to waterford-news.ie Deputy McGuinness said the failure to include any meaningful reference to key regional infrastructure was “a clear sign that Waterford has been written out of this Government’s vision for Ireland’s future".

“This framework talks about balanced regional development but it fails to mention Waterford Airport," he said.

"It fails to prioritise the N24 and N25 – roads that are becoming more dangerous and more congested by the week," he added. He also said it offered nothing on the Port of Waterford which, he said, had major potential for sustainable economic development. 

"There is no serious investment plan here, just more vague aspirations," he said.

He also pointed out that the draft plan offered no clarity on whether Tramore will be included in the Waterford City Metropolitan Area Spatial Plan (MASP) as sought by all political representatives.

"This move would reflect the reality in the ground, add to Waterford’s critical mass, and ensure Waterford Airport is included in the cities footprint for planning purposes," he said.

"The draft framework is also silent on how it will treat towns like Dungarvan that have yet to complete a Local Area Plan due to delays on transport planning," he added.

The Sinn Féin Deputy also pointed to the absence of commitments to coastal communities and maritime infrastructure.

“There are harbours in this county such as Cé Heilbhic that can’t be used properly because the Government won’t fund dredging," he said.

"We hear talk about offshore wind, about marine tourism, but you can’t even get a punt out of the harbour. It’s disgraceful," he added.

Deputy McGuinness said that Waterford’s exclusion from the Government’s strategic thinking would have consequences for employment, housing and quality of life.

“The people of Waterford have been promised a regional counterbalance for decades, but what we see here is a plan that centralises growth in the major cities and their commuter belts," he said.

"The South East continues to be overlooked and that means missed opportunities for our young people, our workers and our communities," he added. He also remarked that the draft National Planning Framework failed to offer any answers to the housing crisis, particularly in places like Waterford.

“We need public housing, affordable housing, serviced sites and targeted investment to meet the needs of communities across this county, rural and urban," he said.

"This framework offers no guarantees; it doesn’t tell us how or when delivery will happen and it certainly doesn’t give the people of Waterford any reason to believe that change is coming," he added.

He concluded by saying his party wouldn't support any plan that "excludes our region, ignores the needs of our communities and continues the pattern of underinvestment in the South East".

"Waterford deserves better and Sinn Féin is committed to delivering that change," he said.