Sir, – Was the consultation on the revised National Planning Framework, which closed this week, an exercise to check if we are paying attention?
The revised framework was published in July and proposes a strategy to expand the population of Dublin by 25 per cent over the next 15 years to 1.5 million by 2040. It also proposes a strategy to expand our regional cities.
In April, the Central Statistics Office published updated population figures confirming that the population of Dublin is now 1.535 million.
Why would the Department of Housing publish a 15-year strategy to get us to where we already are? Could it possibly be that the department does not know the current population of Dublin?
No doubt when this comes to the Minister’s attention the Government will announce that it intends to focus on expanding our regional cities, and limit the growth of Dublin, as the 2040 target for Dublin has already been achieved.
If this is not the plan, perhaps the Government might tell us by how much they intend to increase the size of Dublin and from where all of the additional people will come from? – Yours, etc,
DAVID GEARY,
Limerick.