The owner of the Rosebank Retail Park in Carrick-on-Shannon says he hopes Mc Donald's will get permission to open a restaurant on the site.
A decision on the 60 seat restaurant which will also have a drive-thru facility is imminent but it's understood that some local people are concerned about the proximity of the fast food outlet to a local secondary school.
Former Fine Gael TD and Senator Gerry Reynolds who owns the retail park in question says he's well aware of peoples concerns about obesity but doesn't think that the planning system is the way to tackle it.
The businessman says the €6 million euro development would create another 30 to 40 jobs in what is a challenging economic environment.
He adds that young people make their own decisions on how they eat backed up by parental supervisor and education, and it should have nothing to do with the planning process.
