Cosúil le Contae Chill Mhantáin, tá a lán fadhbanna á réiteach againn i gContae na Mí. Prior planning prevents poor performance. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. We are snowed under with data sets.
Yet in Meath East, parents are alternating between commuting to work and campaigning alongside public representatives for childcare and school places. Students switch from study to work to keeping social connections trying to navigate disconnected, under resourced modes of transport. Examples include the 103 bus service. It is full leaving Ratoath before it gets to Ashbourne. The 109A has a reduced service to and from DCU. The M3 Dunboyne to Navan rail line is without a timeline or ring-fenced funding. Water supplies in Dunshaughlin and Dunboyne are at their limits in advance of much-needed home building.
There is a scarcity or a complete lack of social infrastructure, such as parks in Ashbourne and Ratoath. Currently, there is anxiety, fear and frustration among parents and school teams in Duleek, Dunboyne and Dunshauglin. All are awaiting childcare places, school places, classrooms and appropriate resources not diluted in special education, but provided in line with will and preference. All of these issues have been compounded by numerous escalating costs of living. I try to be solution focused. I cannot see why these issues - similar to Deputy Gogarty, they are not just in my constituency, but in any rapidly growing area - are not anticipated and planned for.
I have questions for the Tánaiste that are in adherence with the programme for Government. What intergovernmental State or semi-State communication and collaboration has taken place? What plans have been or are being prepared for County Meath, which is in the programme for Government, to "ensure accurate estimates of the demand for essential services", including but not limited to school places, public transport, water supply and social infrastructure? What is the current status of the unit for future planning?
