In my ongoing involuntary tour of all sports grounds in the greater Dublin region I found myself standing on the side of a pitch in Laytown, Co Meath, a few weeks ago. The place seemed idyllic in the sunshine, a pitch overlooking the sea, a short walk over a footbridge from the village centre and its train station, and all about 50 minutes by train from Dublin city centre.

It seems like a great place to live, but almost no one does. Most of the land around the train station is devoted to farming.

In the local elections the twin issues of transport and housing were raised again and again. Local government affects our quality of life more than most aspects of government, and transport