Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 Nov 2007

Vol. 641 No. 4

Transport 21: Statements.

Minister for Transport (Deputy Noel Dempsey)

The second anniversary of the launch of Transport 21 has just passed and I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the progress made and to assure Deputies that the Government remains committed to delivering the programme in full. Many major projects, particularly on the national road network, are being completed on time and on budget. Construction is under way on many important projects, particularly on railways and major inter-urban motorways, while others are at the statutory approval stage, at design and planning stage or at public consultation stage.

Transport 21 is a major undertaking. It is the first time a Government here has agreed a ten-year financial framework for any sector of our economy and is also the first time a capital investment commitment of more than €34 billion has been made. Transport 21 identifies and prioritises the projects that will be completed within the ten-year period to 2015. There will be more to do after that period has expired, and in the programme for Government we have committed to preparing a follow-on investment programme for the period after 2015.

Deputies will be aware of the details of the Transport 21 programme. What I would like to do now is to update the House on some specifics of the progress so far and provide an outline of the further progress that can be expected in the coming years. The inter-urban motorway programme, with which most people are familiar, aims to upgrade the five major inter-urban motorways by 2010, and is on target for completion on time and within budget. The first route, the M1 motorway from Dublin to the Border, was completed earlier this year with the opening of the Dundalk to Newry scheme. Work continues on the other four routes, the N6, the N7, the N8 and the N9. Of a total of 738 kilometres on this inter-urban network, 313 kilometres are now open to traffic and 308 kilometres are under construction. All of the remaining projects have passed the statutory approvals process.

Since the start of Transport 21, a total of 21 national road projects have been completed, and a further four should be completed by the end of this year. Among these are a number of significant projects such as the Dublin Port tunnel, the Naas Road widening, the Mitchelstown relief road, the Mullingar eastern bypass, the Arklow to Gorey bypass, the Cavan bypass and, most recently, the Charlestown and Castleblayney bypasses. Progress on road building is continuing at a very impressive pace and the NRA has 21 schemes under construction at present. The impact of these new and improved roads is evident and anybody who has travelled around the country in recent times will testify to the vast improvement in journey times.

Although we are only two years into the Transport 21 programme, significant improvements in public transport are also already apparent. Earlier this year, the first new railway station in Dublin city centre for more than 100 years was opened at Docklands.The new station facilitated the enhancement of services on the western suburban line and led, in particular, to a significant increase in commuter services to and from Clonsilla. January of this year saw the introduction into service by Iarnród Éireann of all 67 new intercity carriages which it had acquired for operation on the Dublin to Cork line. The new carriages have allowed the company to introduce hourly clockface timetabling services on the route, and this has proved very popular, with customer numbers on the route increasing by more than 14% on last year. Iarnród Éireann is now on target to carry more than 3 million passengers on the Dublin-Cork route in 2007.

New rolling stock for the other intercity routes will gradually be introduced into service over the next two years, starting with the Dublin to Sligo services. The original plan to buy 120 railcars was expanded to 183. Some 42 have been delivered to date and the remainder will be delivered by the end of next year. The Portlaoise train care depot, which will provide maintenance facilities for the new railcars, will be completed early in the new year.

Construction work has begun on a number of important rail projects, the Midleton rail line, the first phase of the western rail corridor, the Kildare route project and the Luas extensions to Cherrywood and the Docklands. The expansion of the trains on the Tallaght Luas line is well under way and will be completed by mid-2008, increasing capacity by 40%. Eighteen new trams are on order and delivery will start by the end of 2008.

Other major projects have not yet reached construction stage but are progressing through planning and approval stage.

A railway order application has been made to An Bord Pleanála for the first phase of the Navan line, from Clonsilla to Pace, and it is hoped that the oral hearing will be held before the year end.

The Railway Procurement Agency has made major progress on metro north. The preferred alignment has been selected and issues raised in public consultation have been addressed. The PPP procurement process is well under way and the short-listed consortia will be invited to tender for the project in 2008. Preliminary consultation has taken place with An Bord Pleanála and a railway order application for the project will also be submitted next year. The emerging preferred route for metro west was selected by the RPA earlier this year, following extensive public consultation.

larnród Éireann is also making excellent progress on its preparatory work for the rail interconnector between Heuston Station and the Docklands and it commenced public consultation on the alignment earlier this year.

The preferred alignment for the Luas line from Cherrywood to the Bray area has been selected and the remaining Luas extensions, phase 2 of the Navan line and phases 2 and 3 of the western rail corridor are at planning and design or public consultation stages. The RPA expects to be in a position to submit a railway order application for the Citywest extension before the end of the year.

Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus will take delivery of 435 new buses over the next two years. Approximately 266 of these will be deployed as replacement buses and 169 will be additional buses, increasing the fleet size and capacity of both agencies. Already, Dublin Bus has 50 additional buses in service, while Bus Éireann has 13.

I want to address some of the rather disingenuous recent claims in the media that the Transport 21 programme is suffering from insuperable delays due to the rescheduling of certain projects. The huge scale of the Transport 21 programme is such that adjustments to the timescale for individual projects is inevitable. The estimated completion dates for some Transport 21 projects have changed since the original indicative timetable was published in November 2005. The original timetable was designed to set challenging targets for the agencies and was drawn up in the Department at a time when many of the projects mentioned were only at the very early planning stage.

Inevitably, within a programme of this scale, it will be necessary to amend estimated completion dates as projects develop. Final completion dates for projects will only be determined when the planning process and contract negotiations have been concluded. So far, it has been necessary to revise the indicative completion dates for some of the projects because of circumstances arising before construction, while other projects have been delivered ahead of schedule.

The projects completed ahead of schedule include the N2 Ashbourne bypass, by four months; the N15 Bundoran to Ballyshannon route, by three months; the N8 Mitchelstown relief road, by three months; the N21 Castleisland to Abbeyfeale route, by three months; the N8 Rathcormac to Fermoy route, by eight months; the N25/27 Kinsale Road interchange, by six months; the N6 Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan route, by six months; the N52 Mullingar to Belvedere route, by one month; and the M1 Dundalk to Newry route, by three months. The Docklands railway station was also completed two years ahead of the Transport 21 indicative timetable.

The necessary revisions to the programme timetable have arisen for a range of reasons including changes to the scope of the projects arising from public consultation — I am sure nobody in this House would want us to ignore the views put forward and that has caused delays in some of the projects — planning issues which obviously cause delays, procurement issues and archaeological difficulties. However, I am confident that the implementing agencies can work through these issues and that Transport 21 will be delivered, in its entirety, within the ten years of the programme.

Rescheduling the construction timetables of certain projects has not impacted on the drawdown of funds for the programme as a whole. As Transport 21 provides a ten-year financial framework, we have the flexibility to advance funds from projects which are delayed to those where there is the capacity to accelerate project delivery. This ensures the programme can deal with delays in some projects by accelerating others, thereby ensuring the overall delivery of the programme.

I am committed to ensuring that Transport 21 is delivered with absolute regard to value for money and industry best practice. My Department has launched a rolling audit programme to ensure best practice is followed and that all projects are compliant with the Department of Finance capital appraisal guidelines.

Robust monitoring procedures are in place, assisted by specialist consultants. There is regular progress reporting to Government. Information is also available to the public on the dedicated Transport 21 website, on individual agency websites, in the Transport 21 annual progress report and in regular newsletters.

My predecessor, Deputy Cullen——

Deputy James Bannon

Do not speak of him too often.

Deputy Noel Dempsey

——and myself have consistently indicated that, in the interest of achieving best value for money for the taxpayer, we will not release prematurely the costs of Transport 21 projects. My position on this remains unchanged. However, it is my intention to publish full information on the business case for major projects and the factors taken into account in making decisions on them in due course. This will be done when there is no danger that it will have a negative impact on the State's ability to get best value for money through the public procurement process. The basis for the Government decision will be transparent but it will be handled in such a way as to avoid compromising the State's commercial interest and, by extension, the interests of taxpayers who are paying for this.

All in all, I am satisfied with the progress made to date in Transport 21, while acknowledging that there have been some delays for valid and unavoidable reasons. The ten-year programme is on target to deliver the projects identified. I will continue to ensure that every effort is made to complete projects in the shortest possible timeframe. The country needs this infrastructure quickly.

Transport 21 is not just about building new roads or public transport infrastructure. It is about improving the quality of life of our citizens and reducing commuter and travel times. Achieving these aims will be the main benefits of Transport 21. I look forward to reporting to the House and the Committee on Transport on a regular basis on the progress we achieve.

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd

Ba mhaith liom mo am a roinnt idir mé fhéin agus mo chara, an Teachta Bannon.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd

On the question of credibility of Transport 21 and projects like the metro, there is a need for accountability here in a way that is different from that proposed by the Minister. I do not disagree with him on the issue of protecting the interests of the State and of the public procurement process, but I would like to see the Comptroller and Auditor General or another person or body independent from the political system audit these at a reasonable time so that it would not be merely a matter of taking the Minister's word — not that we would ever disbelieve what he would say — and that all of this would be benchmarked. There were significant overruns in previous road projects. I acknowledge the progress that has been made by the National Roads Authority in changing the process and keeping an eye much more sharply on the expenditure, but this side of the House would need independent benchmarking of this issue.

My colleague in the Seanad, Senator Donohoe, is particularly concerned about the potential for significant over-runs on the metro project. The Minister has taken a particular position. I acknowledge the integrity of protecting the public purse, but at the same time it is our job to make the Minister accountable and to have transparency outside of the political system. Perhaps this can be done through the Comptroller and Auditor General. I do not know who should do it but perhaps we can discuss the issue in a committee meeting and follow best practice elsewhere. As a party in Opposition, we must ensure that we have accountability and transparency as early as possible in projects and we should be as incisive as possible in regard to them.

Another question I wish to raise is the vision that is required for public transport, especially under Transport 21. I have been travelling to this House from Drogheda for almost 11 years. My travelling time is still the same if I travel by train although I accept the rolling stock is much better and even though more people are standing, they are happier with the service which is running well and is on time. I left the town of Drogheda at 6 a.m. and encountered significant volumes of traffic, which would not have been the case ten years ago. Previously, I could reach Leinster House in an hour and 15 minutes by car. Now I would be lucky to get here in an hour and a half, and the journey can take up to two hours if I leave home between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. On that benchmark it appears Transport 21 is failing.

I previously referred to park and ride facilities. Deputy Kennedy and I agree that we need park and ride facilities on the approaches to the city. We need a faster delivery of such facilities on the northern approaches to the city that I use myself.

The Dublin Transport Authority Bill was promised years ago. My researcher informed me that Fine Gael proposed to set up a Dublin transport authority in the 1980s, but it was abolished by Fianna Fáil.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

It was passed by the Dáil.

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd

The Labour Party went back into power and abolished it. We need to get a handle on Dublin transport. The Bill is sitting on the Minister's desk since it was finalised in April of this year. The Minister should shake his head again so it can be seen on the cameras.

Deputy Noel Dempsey

I am just——

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

The Minister will get dizzy.

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd

The reason I want the Minister to shake his head again——

Deputy James Bannon

It is because of all the U-turns.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

And handbrake turns.

An Ceann Comhairle

It would be a lot worse if we heard him shaking his head.

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd

I agree with you. The reason I wanted——

Deputy Noel Dempsey

How come the Deputy did not see me nodding my head in agreement with him on the earlier point?

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd

We got a copy of the briefing the Minister received stating that the legislative work on the Bill was completed in April of this year. By the way, that was the day he got into office when he was not told about Aer Lingus.

Deputy Noel Dempsey

The Bill is not finished.

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd

If it is not finished the Department misinformed the Minister on that issue.

Deputy Noel Dempsey

They thought it was finished until I saw it.

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd

So the Minister is changing it. That is fair enough.

This is a key issue. The Ceann Comhairle and the Minister probably know more about this matter than I do but, from my perspective, the Bill has been in preparation for many years and it ought to be before the House where we will give it due and proper consideration. It is necessary to have the controlling interest of the Dublin transport authority with the regulatory powers to address any issues that might arise in terms of people fighting over their own patch. We need direction, control and a vision and until we have that Bill, we will not have these things. We, on this side of the House, are very happy for the Bill to come before us as soon as possible. Perhaps when the Minister responds he can indicate what is happening in regard to the Bill. We need this authority to be in place and until it is here we will not have a blueprint that can be acted upon to address transport issues, especially in Dublin. I hand over to Deputy Bannon.

Deputy James Bannon

I welcome the Minister. I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak on this important matter. Nearly every transport project due to be competed before 2010 under the Government's €34 billion Transport 21 plan is already delayed or late, depending on which spin is put on it by the Minister. It is emphatically predicted to miss its due date. We have evidence of that on several projects. The Minister referred to projects in counties Louth and Westmeath. It would not take a genius to know the latter project would be finished well ahead of the planned time. Anyone who knows the short stretch of road in close proximity to Belvedere would realise that.

So much for the Government's mantra of "on time and on budget". That was the tone back at the launch of Transport 21 which was accompanied by great fanfare. It is my bet the Taoiseach and the Minister wish to forget the catchphrase that must now be haunting them. With a puffed out chest and full of pride, the former Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, described Transport 21 as "my brain child". It is more of a no-brainer if you ask me.

The Minister does not need me to tell him the transport system is inadequate. That must have filtered through, even to him. We have seen a significant number of U-turns on the part of the Minister. He is spinning like a roth mór at this stage. The national spatial strategy and the development of the regional gateways to slow the growth of Dublin have failed miserably. The Minister would be aware of that if he had his ear to the ground on this issue. Despite the national spatial strategy, apart from the Atlantic road corridor and a few regional projects, all routes still lead to Dublin.

In the previous national development plan the State was divided into two regions to ensure the maximisation of EU Structural Funds. Commitments were given that the BMW region would benefit disproportionately but this certainly did not happen. Once again, projects in the Dublin and east region exceeded its budget. The BMW region has lost out. Spending on roads in the BMW region is down by €500 million on promised funding with an overall investment shortfall of approximately €4 billion.

What has happened regarding the proposed upgrade of the N63 and the N55? They join numerous other roads that are examples of where the Government has failed to provide a 20th century infrastructure for the midlands. The N4 motorway from Dublin to Sligo will provide an essential motorway link to the midlands and the west and help to promote economic growth which is badly needed in this area. Some sections of the route have been upgraded to motorway or dual carriageway standards but the fact remains there is no timescale for the completion of the project. Question marks remain over safety given the number of bottlenecks that arise on this route.

I would not like to think access to Sligo would be left in the hands of Iarnród Éireann, whose reaction to the breakdown on the route at the weekend was a total failure of customer care, impinging on health and safety and showing an unbelievable incompetence and disregard for the well-being of passengers. Serious questions on this incident need to be answered by the Minister and Iarnród Éireann.

The midlands was totally overlooked in the proposals on Transport 21, with the resultant omission of essential works on what are some of the most dangerous roads in Ireland. These dangerous roads include the N55 between Athlone and Cavan, the N63 between Longford and Roscommon and an appallingly bad stretch between Edgeworthstown and Armagh, which poses a serious threat to the safety of the public. This route was referred to as one of the worst roads in the Thirty-two Counties.

One of the greatest omissions in Transport 21 was the Mullingar to Athlone rail link, despite assurances to the contrary from a former Minister for Transport from Longford-Westmeath, who got front page headlines prior to the general election for promising thin air. Nothing has been done to advance the reopening of that valuable infrastructural asset for the midlands linking two of the gateway towns, Mullingar and Athlone, by rail. In reply to my parliamentary question on the Minister's plans for the reopening of the line, he stated that the strategic rail review did not recommend the inclusion of the scheme in the list of new rail schemes or projects. He went on to emphasise what I already know, namely, that the project is not included in Transport 21. The Minister might comment on the developments that have taken place since then. With all the huffing and puffing from the Fianna Fáil Deputies from the region, I would like to know the truth about that piece of infrastructure.

The Midland Railway Action Group has done incredible work on the reopening of the line but the lack of any real and meaningful Government support has hindered its efforts. The future development of the midlands is very much dependent on the provision of a commercial airport in the midlands. Abbeyshrule, which is in close proximity to where I live and has had a small leisure airport since the early 1950s, with business ventures attached, is an ideal site for this development. Transport 21 overlooked that valuable infrastructural asset and despite local community activity, nothing has materialised. I ask the Minister to consider the development of that airport to commercial status because it would be important for the opening up of the midlands and for industry generally in the midlands. I wrote to the Minister's Department on several occasions regarding that important piece of infrastructure for the midlands but to date I have received negative responses. The Minister might again consider it because we are the only country in Europe without an airport in its midland region.

Transport 21 may not be the Minister's brainchild but since taking responsibility for it he has done little to advance its overall development. The slogan, "A lot done, more to do" must haunt the Minister. There is a lot more to do and I would welcome an update from the Minister on what will be acted upon in Transport 21.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

I am delighted to have the opportunity to make some comments on Transport 21 around the time of the second anniversary of its launch. The Transport 21 programme was launched with great fanfare by the Minister's colleagues, the former Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, and several of his ministerial colleagues including the Taoiseach, Deputy Ahern, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, and the then Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, on 1 November 2005. At that time the Labour Party spokesperson on transport, Deputy Shortall, welcomed the establishment of the ten year transport plan, particularly a number of its key proposals including metro north and west, the western rail corridor and the upgrading of the national inter-urban road network and the Dublin rail interconnector.

A key concern of the Labour Party at that time was the ability of this Government to deliver on the many promises contained in Transport 21. That concern was strengthened by the fact that most of the promises in the Government's earlier platform for change remained undelivered two years ago. It is hugely disappointing now that just two years later, those fears are coming to pass and there are major question marks over the ability of this Minister and his Department of Transport to realise Transport 21 on time and in budget.

Last week I submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, on the serious slippage now widely reported on many Transport 21 projects. The reply I received contained a litany of excuses from the Minister about delays which pointed to the poor management of Transport 21 by him, his Department and the former Minister, Deputy Cullen. The majority of projects due for completion between 2006 and 2009 have been either seriously delayed or will miss the original date of completion. According to this Minister, the scheduled completion date for metro north, for example, has now moved back to 2013 to "take account of scope changes made which arise from public consultation". The Tallaght to Citywest Luas extension "has been revised from 2008 to 2010 to accommodate a longer alignment than originally planned". The Connolly to Docklands Luas has also a revised completion date of 2009 rather than 2008 because of concerns of businesses in the International Financial Services Centre about the impact of construction.

Even more disturbing is that the initiative to link the red and green Dublin Luas lines has been stalled, with no deadline for the completion of that important project. I note the Minister did not mention that in his contribution. According to the Minister, Dublin Bus expressed serious concerns about the impact the preferred Luas alignment would have on its operations. The Minister went on to say that Dublin City Council is currently undertaking traffic modelling work as part of its examinations regarding the Luas city centre link and the further extension to Liffey junction, line D. We have had a litany of excuses as to the reason we have not moved on that important key development in Dublin city transport. The Minister's response both to my parliamentary question and here this evening is astonishingly vague.

The construction timetable for the Cork commuter rail service to Midleton has been pushed back to 2009 at the earliest instead of 2008. As the Minister said, the construction timetable has yet to be finalised. In County Laois, the Portlaoise train depot will not now be completed until 2008 instead of 2007 because of planning issues, according to the Minister. He also reports that delays due to tendering issues on the Limerick southern ring road project have pushed its completion date back to 2010.

To refer to his own area, the Minister said that the completion date for part 1 of the Navan rail link has been revised back to 2010 due to what he said is a later than planned submission of the railway order application. How did that delay occur? Furthermore, the Dublin city centre rail resignalling project, which was expanded to include the Maynooth line, is resulting in a longer construction period and now has a 2011 completion date.

We continue to move backwards with this Minister in regard to project after project. For example, construction starts on the M3 and M25 Waterford city bypass have been seriously delayed. We are aware of the position on the M3. Phase 1 of the M50 was to be completed this year but now will not be finished until late next year at the earliest. It is an astonishing list of missed deadlines and delays to the original timeframe of Transport 21. Serious questions arise about the ability of the Minister and his Department to deliver the programme within the timeframe. The programme rightly has a huge budget of €34 billion of public money given that our national transport infrastructure, including public transport, and the national rail structure has been greatly in need of significant investment for many years.

The Labour Party has long advocated a comprehensive and rigorously planned long-term programme of upgrading and maintenance of Ireland's national transport networks but with such serious investment in Transport 21, the public must have full confidence that the programme will be carried out in an effective and efficient manner. Unfortunately, in the past two years we do not have evidence of that from this Minister in his Department.

In the light of that litany of failure, in United Kingdom terms, with respect to one or two departments there, we might ask if this Minister and his Department of Transport are fit for purpose. Can the Department carry out a fundamental remit given to it by this Oireachtas? In the previous Dáil responsibility for the marine was unnecessarily broken up and scattered throughout the Government, so to speak. Responsibility for ports and marine transport was added to an already large new Department of Transport, with a critical national mandate. Last night and today, further sections of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have been removed from that Department into the growing empire that is the Department of Transport with responsibility for the marine. Since this Minister has taken the reigns of that Department, following the disastrous privatisation of Aer Lingus by his predecessor, Deputy Martin Cullen, we have had the Shannon and the learner drivers debacles. We are now entitled to ask whether that Department is capable of delivering this huge programme of vital national importance.

The Minister should provide a full explanation tonight of the overall management of Transport 21 by him and his Department since taking up the role of Minister. Most people would understand that one or two projects might encounter unforeseen difficulties in their implementation and the planning and consultation issues that arise but not the number of projects I have outlined. For example, will the Minister tell the House whether it is the case that the rail cars that I understand were bought from Japan and Korea for the new Sligo rail line had to be shipped back for additional safety repairs? The Minister may know about it. Perhaps he will enlighten the House.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

Punctures.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

Recently, I suggested that the Joint Committee on Transport be given a strong invigilation role in respect of the new road safety strategy. The same process should apply to Transport 21. I will welcome the Minister's comments in that regard.

A key Government failure that has contributed to slippages and blockages in Transport 21, especially regarding the greater Dublin area, has been the ongoing fiasco surrounding the establishment of the Dublin transport authority. At the outset, the organisation was mooted as being Transport 21's key driver in many issues such as integrated ticketing and the green and red Luas link-up, but the plethora of transport bodies involved made implementing and co-ordinating policy proposals difficult sometimes.

In November 2006, the Government appointed the DTA team, which published a wide-ranging report on the DTA's recommended structures and establishment progress. The team was led by the eminent head of the department of civil, structural and environmental engineering at Trinity College, Professor Margaret O'Mahony. We believed that the Dublin and mid-east regions were to have an effective driver of transportation change at last, but we are no clearer two years on about the composition of the DTA, when it will be operational and what its role will be.

From speaking with different stakeholders since becoming my party's spokesperson, it is clear that no one in the transport sector is any wiser as to the Government's plans for the organisation's establishment. Since the group's report, the Government seems to have changed its mind. That a Minister announced the establishment of a major new agency, but floundered around for years until the Government changed its mind and rolled back is extraordinary. In the process, the previous Minister, Deputy Cullen, lost the group's head.

The Minister must explain to the House his plans for the development of the DTA. When will he introduce legislation, what will the DTA's role be and what will happen to the Dublin Transportation Office and the Railway Procurement Agency? There was considerable unease in the RPA when the DTA idea was pushed forward. Under the chairmanship of Mr. Padraic White, the agency delivered the two Luas lines on time. It got the Government — I was about to say "you guys on the Government benches" — through the 2002 election by putting a rail car outside Dáil Éireann. The Ceann Comhairle may remember that as he was probably photographed there.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

Suspended in time.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

The Tallaght line was delivered to Connolly Station in the face of ferocious resistance from vested interests.

The Labour Party has long been on the record as advocating a DTA placed on a statutory basis with the power to direct and implement policy across transport agencies and that is democratically accountable to the citizens of Dublin and its environs, but what of the other regions? For example, should the Ceann Comhairle's region in the south west not have a transportation authority? Is there a role for a national transport authority to oversee the development of Transport 21?

The policy has been an abject failure. My constituency includes the largest urban development in the history of the State, but it has been waiting for a new DART station at Clongriffin for more than four years. The unbelievable saga of the building of a simple DART station typifies problems in transport.

A disturbing new trend involves the disposal of valuable public lands owned by some transport agencies. Deputy Higgins has led the campaign to oppose the sale of approximately 14.5 acres at Ceannt Station in Galway for residential and commercial development. How can we promote an integrated and sustainable public transport system when we sell lands that could be used for significant transport developments, particularly in the growing city of Galway?

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

Hear, hear.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

When Transport 21 was established, it had clear deficiencies beyond the failure to establish the DTA. It was disappointing that inadequate provision was made for new buses and quality bus corridors. Of particular regret to Deputies from the north side of Dublin was that plans to develop public transport facilities such as metro north for hard-pressed commuters would take seven years to go on stream. While I made strong submissions on behalf of constituents, the metro will not pass through my constituency. This is deeply regrettable, as Coolock would have been the best route. Nonetheless, my case was not accepted and the metro will pass through an area to the west.

Deputy James Bannon

There may be a crony there.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

I welcome the fact that the project will go to tender. I ask my Fine Gael colleagues to declare where they stand on the metro north issue because there is some confusion regarding their party's role.

Deputy Michael Kennedy

I am glad the Deputy said it.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

It seems a Fine Gael Senator believes the project should not proceed.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

Deputy Kennedy should be careful. Fianna Fáil tried wooing previously.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

We should build metro north post haste. Swords is a major city of 100,000 people and it has one of the planet's busiest hub airports. While eminent journalists such as Mr. McDonald of The Irish Times are running a campaign against the metro, there is a case to be made for it because it would provide vital regeneration in and a transport corridor for the city’s north side.

For many years, people in the west of Dublin have asked for a DART line to Blanchardstown. Why was the line not electrified and why must we wait until 2009? Many citizens in Cork are disappointed that Transport 21 contains nothing for them. The Green Party, members of which are not present, advocated a fixed line public transportation system for Cork city.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

They are hugging trees.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

When will the Cork Luas project be brought forward?

Many innovative ideas have been tabled. Transport 21 includes Irish Rail's proposal for an interconnector to link Heuston and Connolly stations, but the timeframe is 2015. The Minister told the media that he would bring the date forward by five years, but the project is falling one year, two years or three years behind like other parts of the policy. In his response, will he explain to the House how he will fund the interconnector? I support the project, a good development that will become the backbone of the Dublin public transportation system, as stated by the former Minister, Deputy Cullen, at Transport 21's launch.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy's time has expired.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

In the budget on 5 December, can we expect significant capital funding for the interconnector's development? We will look for it.

I am disappointed with the delivery of Transport 21. Are the Minister and the Department fit for the purpose and can they deliver? To date, the situation has been bleak. We are fed up with excuses, disappointments and delays. The Minister's job is to deliver. In line with the three strike rule, we want to see the Minister starting to deliver.

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ba mhaith liom páirt de mo chuid ama a roinnt leis an Teachta Gregory.

An Ceann Comhairle

Tá sé sin ceart go leor.

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Bhí nuacht diúltach ag an Rialtas arís an tseachtain seo caite maidir le Transport 21, an phlean mór a d'fhógraigh an iar-Aire Iompair dhá bhliain ó shin. Léiríodh don domhain cé chomh fada siar atá forálacha móra an Rialtas imithe. Ní bheidh scéim ar bith as Transport 21, nach mór, críochnaithe taobh istigh den am a shonraítear. Tá an Rialtas tar éis praiseach iomlán a dhéanamh den phlean, os rud é go bhfuil sé tite chomh fada siar. Tá athruithe sonracha déanta ar mórán de na dátaí críochnaithe a leagadh amach dos na tionscadail móra. B'fhéidir go raibh an Rialtas beagáinín ro-thapaidh chun an chaoi ina n-éireódh leo Transport 21 a chomhlíonadh a mholadh. Is dóigh liom gur ar bhonn polaitíochta agus toghchánaíochta a chuir an Rialtas an phlean seo faoi bhráid an phobail agus a ndúirt Airí go mbeidís in ann an phlean a thabhairt chun críoch. In ainneoin an méid a dúirt an Rialtas ag an am, tá formhór an phlean dírithe ar an ngluaisteán in ionad córais iompair phoiblí. Muna ndíreoimid ar iompair phoiblí, cuirfimid leis an plódú tráchta agus loitiméireacht timpeallachta ata ag tarlú le tamall fada ar fud na tíre. Ní cheart dúinn bóithre a thógáil do gluaisteáin príobháideacha amháin. Le déanaí, táimid ag tabhairt cead do comhlachtaí príobháideacha bóithre a thógáil ionas gur féidir leo dolaí, nó tolls, a bhaint uathu siúd atá ag úsáid na bealaí úd.

In ainneoin an fás mór eacnamaíochta a chonaiceamar le roinnt blianta anuas, níl an Rialtas tar éis airgead oibrithe na tíre seo a chaitheamh i gceart. Bhí Fianna Fáil i gceannas ar na trí Rialtais is déanaí. Ba chóir go mbeadh córas iompair phoiblí againn a bheimid bródúil as. Ba cheart dúinn áiseanna taistil tapaidh, glan agus éifeachtach a bheith againn. Ní chóir go mbeadh sé ró-dhaor — ba cheart don chuid is mó den phobal bheith in ann íoc as turasanna bunúsacha. Dá mbeadh a leithéid de sheirbhís againn, bheadh i bhfad nios mó daoine sásta an chóras phoiblí a úsáid agus bheadh saol níos fearr ag a bhformhór. In ionad é sin, áfach, tá praiseach againn. Tá an córas ag titim as a chéile faoin brú leanúnach atá á chuir ar. Níl daoine in ann dul ag obair nó páistí a thógaint ar scoil ar an gcóras iompair poiblí de bharr an easpa pleanála a tharla thar na blianta. Tá tionchar ró-mhór ag gluaisteáin i bpolasaithe an Rialtais. Tá an Rialtas ró-dhíograiseach chun bóithre a thógáil.

Glacann gach éinne leis nach bhfuil córais taistil saor. Ní foláir dúinn airgead a chaitheamh orthu gan a bheith cinnte go mairfidh siad thar na blianta. Ní fiú airgead a infheistiú san earnáil iompair muna mbeidh saol fada ag an infrastruchtúr. Tá i bhfad nios mó daoine gafa i plódú tráchta, nó ag fanacht do busanna nach bhfuil ag teacht, in ainneoin an caiteachas atá déanta. Léiríonn sé sin go bhfuil an Rialtas tar éis caiteachas mícheart a dhéanamh le tamall de bhlianta anuas. Caithfimid athrú a dhéanamh. Tá seans fós ag an Rialtas beagáinín difríocht a dhéanamh. Más féidir linn díriú isteach ar roinnt de na smaointe atá i Transport 21, ba chóir duinn féachaint go háirithe orthu siúd a bhaineann le córais iompair phoiblí. B'fhéidir gur féidir linn iad a thabhairt i gcrích go hiomlán, gan bheith ag braith ar príobháidiú. Ba cheart dúinn déanamh cinnte de go bhfuil metro ceart againn, atá saor agus ar úinéireacht phoiblí ar nós Paris nó Zurich. Níl córas príobháideach, ar nós Luas nó a leithéad, á lorg againn. Ba chóir go rithfeadh an Stáit na córais seo ar fad, faoi comhlacht ar nós Córas Iompair Éireann. Tá sé in am dúinn bheith in ann an ticéad ceanainn céanna a úsáid an lá ar fad ar gach uile chuid den chóras taistil phoiblí — an Luas, an metro, an DART nó na busanna. Is scannal mór é nach bhfuil córas den shórt sin againn, ar nós na córais in a lán cathracha eile.

Aithním gur dhein an Rialtas beagán infheistiú i mbusanna na cathrach seo, ach níl go leor déanta go fóill. Tháinig an méid a dhein siad i bhfad ró-dhéanach chun difríocht a dhéanamh ar na fadhbanna tráchta atá againn. Má táimid chun impí ar dhaoine a ghluaisteáin a fhágaint ina dhiadh, caithfimid an loingeas bhus a dhúbailt thar oíche. Tá sé sin riachtanach chun déileáil leis an fás mór atá tagtha ar mBaile Átha Cliath. Mar a dúirt mé níos luaithe, ba chóir go mbeadh Bus Átha Cliath freagrach as na mbusanna go léir. Tá formhór na ndaoine i gCorcaigh, Luimneach agus áiteanna eile ag brath ar Bus Éireann — dá bhrí sin, ba chóir go mbeadh i bhfad níos mó busanna ag an gcomhlacht sin. Ní fiú lánaí bus a sholáthair muna bhfuil go leor busanna ann chun úsáid a bhaint astu. Tá mé tar éis roinnt stuif a chloisint le tamall anuas maidir leis na busanna nua. Tá seans ann go bhfuil na busanna nua a cheannaigh an Rialtas dainséarach. Tá súil agam go ndéanfaidh an Aire cinnte de nach bhfuil na busanna atá á úsáid ag muintir Bhaile Átha Cliath níos dainséaraí ná aon busanna eile. Chuala mé le déanaí go bhfuil fadhbanna móra ag baint le coscáin na mbusanna úd.

Tá praiseach iomlán déanta againn ar an M50 ó thús deireadh. Ní chóir go mbeadh dóla air. Bhí an mótarbhealach ró-cúng nuair a thógadh é i dtosach. Táimid ag déileáil faoi láthair le leathnú na bóithre, ach tá sé ag tógaint an iomarca ama. Ba chóir go mbeadh deifir ar an gcomhlacht atá ag déanamh an leathnú. Ní féidir le pobal Bhaile Átha Cliath — nó pobal na tíre, fiú, cé go n-úsáideann daoine ó gach páirt den tír an M50 nuair a thagann siad go Baile Átha Cliath — fanacht mórán níos faide. Cén fáth nach féidir leis an gcomhlacht úd a chuid oibre a dhéanamh 24 uair sa lá? Is tionscnamh mór millteanach é seo, a bhaineann le saol eacnamaíochta na tíre. Tá príomh-mótarbhealach na tíre faoi snaidhm de bharr an praiseach a dhéanadh agus ata fós ann.

Ba mhaith liom díriú isteach ar cúpla rud eile, ar nós córas iarnróid na tíre seo. Nílimid ag baint tairbhe iomlán as an eangach úd. Ba chóir dúinn níos mó infheistíocht a dhéanamh san eangach sin, ionas go mbeidh níos mó traenacha timpeall na tíre. Teastaíonn uaim go mbeidh gach ceantar in ann brath ar chóras iarnróid atá éifeachtach agus poiblí, seachas bheith as brath ar trucailí ag dul timpeall na tíre. Tá a fhios againn mar gheall ar an dainséar a bhaineann le trucailí ag tiomáint trí bailte beaga.

Mar focal scoir, labhróidh mé faoi na seirbhísí taistil scoile. Ba chóir go mbeadh i bhfad nios mó busanna ann do pháistí atá ag freastal ar scoileanna ionas gur féidir linn impí ar tuismitheoirí a ghluaisteáin a fhágaint sa bhaile agus an dainséar lena mbuaileann páistí agus iad ag dul ar scoil gach lá a laghdú. Ba cheart go mbeidís in ann dul ar bus chomh láithreach is a fhágann siad an scoil gach lá chun a bheith tógtha abhaile slán sábháilte. Tá a lán obair le déanamh. Ní creidim go bhfuil an Rialtas in ann an obair seo a dhéanamh i gceart sa chaoi atá riachtanach san am amach anseo.