There are many compelling reasons Tuam should be successful in gaining urban renewal status on this occasion. Recently, there has been extensive dialogue with local political and business interests and the plan has been made as inclusive as possible. The new urban renewal scheme is more focused than earlier schemes. Galway County Council must be complimented on the leadership it has shown in getting the services of consultants, Brady Shipman and Martin, to draw up the plan which serves as an application for the next phase of the national urban renewal scheme.
Tuam has a chequered history. It was always a thriving market town but suffered greatly in the mid-1980s when the sugar factory closed. However, in the past five or six years, there has been huge investment in water and sewerage schemes and in link roads which have transformed the town. Side by side with this development, there has been a remarkable resurgence of spirit and confidence in the town. Many new houses have been built, existing factories have been expanding their workforces and there are many new small industries are setting up. It is against this background that the urban renewal plan for Tuam, which is imaginative and sensible, has been tabled.
There are areas in Tuam, like other towns of its size, which need rejuvenation. Many of these areas have been included in the plan. It has always been felt that Tuam, because of its proximity to Galway, would never be anything more than a satellite town of Galway. However, there is every reason to believe it can attract new industry in its own right. It is certainly attracting many people to come to live in the town. The extension of the urban renewal scheme to areas of the town, which would be less likely to develop without incentives, would be good. The plan is balanced and the provision of urban renewal status to Tuam could be an important phase in the development of these areas in the future.
The proximity of Tuam to Galway is both a strength and a weakness. It is a weakness in that a large number of people commute to work in Galway each morning but live in Tuam and enjoy the benefits of a highly attractive country town. There are opportunities for development in Tuam which will present themselves in the future because of the dramatic expansion of Galway city. It is likely Tuam will feature in the promotion of industrial jobs if the infrastructure is good enough to take that type of development. It is in this context that the urban renewal plan is extremely important to Tuam.
I propose a small extension to the plan which is worthwhile, feasible and necessary. A small area of Tuam encompassing four small business premises has been left out of the plan. It is contiguous to an area identified as suitable for the plan but it is like a sore thumb sticking out. Will the Minister of State ask his officials to look at what appears to be a glaring omission?
This is the only urban renewal scheme in County Galway that has been earmarked for inclusion. There is a concerted and concentrated effort by everybody concerned to ensure Tuam is included. I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure this professional application on behalf of Tuam by the consultants, spearheaded by Galway County Council, is successful.
