asked the Minister for Local Government if in view of the likely substantial increase in population in the towns of Drogheda and Dundalk, County Louth he will encourage the local authorities in the area to provide the infrastructure necessary by way of housing for industrial workers, roads to carry heavy industrial traffic and other amenities to cater for this future development.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Louth Development Plans.
40.
Planning authorities, including the authorities in Drogheda and Dundalk, are required by the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963, to make plans for the development of their areas and to review these plans periodically. The plans already made for Drogheda and Dundalk reflect the likely increase in the populations of those towns.
I have recently drawn the attention of planning authorities generally to the importance of making full use of their wide planning and development powers to encourage and assist new development and to ensure that the infrastructure needs of new and expanding enterprises are provided for in good time. I have encouraged the authorities to make special organisational arrangements to ensure that they are effective as development corporations at local level with policies and programmes attuned to the development needs of their areas.