I move:
That Seanad Éireann congratulates the Minister for Public Enterprise on the largest ever capital provision for public transport, in the form of the £2.2 billion commitment in the national development plan, and in particular welcomes:
–the £1,600 million allocation to transform the public system in the greater Dublin area;
–the £500 million commitment to the revitalisation of the mainline railway;
and
–the £150 million being provided for the upgrading of national public transport services.
I welcome the Minister for Public Enterprise. When she took office in the summer of 1997 public transport was at a crossroads, which was a maze. There was no clearly defined direction on the role of commercial semi-State companies, particularly public transport which had contributed much during the decades to our economic prosperity. The motion, which is timely, rightly pays tribute to the Minister for the enormous work she has done in the development of a national public transport infrastructure, not just in its planning and policy making but in the commitment of money now and in the future. That is the most significant element. A total of £2.2 billion is to be invested under the national development plan. This represents an investment on a scale undreamed of previously which, when fully committed, will transform the public transport landscape through the provision of a fully integrated system.
Everyone agrees that following many years of neglect the public transport system was awash with deficiencies. A strategy had to be put in place and huge capital resources allocated to achieve revitalisation. Those who suggest that there is a quick fix solution to traffic gridlock fuelled by the booming Celtic tiger are living in the land of make believe.
Shakespeare once said, I think in Hamlet, "There is something rotten in the state of Denmark." I will not use that phrase in referring to CIE, although I am tempted to do so. From personal and inside knowledge, it is a sick, troubled company which rakes over old coals in press releases and leaks. For years management blamed successive Governments for starving it of money. It now has money upfront, yet judging from recent happenings there is a serious malaise at its core and this must be rooted out. I am fully confident that the Minister's radical approach to public transport will work and eradicate this stultifying, self-strangulating culture of dangerous irresponsible brinkmanship and malpractice from the company. I regularly travel around the country and have heard many stories which I will save for another day.
A total of £1.6 billion is to be spent under the national development plan to radically transform public transport in the greater Dublin area. Proposals already approved in respect of Luas include the Tallaght to Connolly light rail line and the Sandyford to Dublin Airport line. The statutory procedures have been completed in respect of the light rail order for the line from Tallaght to Abbey Street and the order for the line from Sandyford to St. Stephen's Green. The feasibility study of the section from St. Stephen's Green to Dublin Airport has been completed. This shows that the underground section from St. Stephen's Green to Broadstone is feasible in engineering terms. This knocks on the head Opposition assertions that it was a con job and could not be built. It has been costed at approximately £300 million. There has been preliminary public consultation on possible routes north of Broadstone.
There is £185 million available for a short-term suburban rail programme. There is to be major investment in the phased purchase of 46 additional DART cars and 58 diesel rail cars. Improvements are being made in signalling, new stations are being constructed and platforms of existing stations extended to cater for eight car trains. Work is in progress at Raheny DART station in my constituency.
There is also the question of expanding light rail, thereby increasing potential carrying capacity. This will involve an element of segregation. This is to be warmly welcomed and will only be achieved progressively. Those who have, naively, attempted to criticise the Minister for introducing modifications as the programme develops have their heads in the sand. Where modifications are meritorious one should have the courage of one's convictions and proceed with them. That is what the Minister is doing.
There have been rumours that the light rail programme is to be scrapped. These can only be described as mischievous and do not merit further comment. A total of £430 million has been set aside to implement the surface elements of the programme. For some time the cynics have been rubbishing the prospects of an underground section for which a total of £500 million has been set aside. This is a clear vote of confidence on the part of the Minister who is determined to proceed with the programme.
A total of £50 million is to be allocated to promote and improve the integration of the public transport system to be spent on such matters as integrated ticketing, additional park and ride spaces, public transport interchange and real time passenger information. These measures are designed to make it easier and more attractive to use public transport.
On Dublin Bus, the Government funded the provision of 150 new buses last year. This year the company will purchase 225 new buses, of which 100 will replace buses currently in use. It is to be agreed that, slowly, the company is making efforts to clean up its public image. Every new bus purchased from here on will afford access to the disabled. I commend the Minister on pursuing this issue with determination, often against the odds. She responded promptly and effectively to the calls of those who were of the view that a terrible injustice had been inflicted on them during the years.
The company will provide a service which respects the equal rights of access of people with a disability. That is a most important principle which the Minister has enshrined into the public transport development plan. The subject of people with a disability is a hobby horse of mine and of everybody in this House. I commend the Minister and warmly welcome her decision to set £10 million aside for the work to improve access to existing public transport, to which I referred earlier, for the mobility impaired and people with a disability. I note that she is seeking the advice of a new public transport accessibility committee on how this money should be spent and that is commendable. I welcome the fact that all new urban buses, DART and suburban rail cars will be fully accessible to people with a disability, as will new stations and the Luas light rail network. That is real progress in two years.