Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Oct 2010

Vol. 717 No. 4

Adjournment Debate

Hospital Beds

Deputy Leo Varadkar

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for allowing me to raise this important issue which relates to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, in my constituency of Dublin West. As the Minister will, no doubt, be aware the hospital currently has a deficit of €4.5 million out of its annual budget of €91 million. As a result, the hospital has been prevailed upon by the HSE to close a number of hospital beds. Ten beds are closed already, another 14 closed last week, bringing to a total of 24, the number of beds closed in Connolly Hospital. This is in addition to the 30 beds that have closed at the Mater Hospital and 64 in Beaumont Hospital, resulting in a total of more than 110 beds closed in the north Dublin region. Hospitals in the north Dublin region are facing additional pressure because of the removal of surgical services from Navan Hospital. It is clear we are heading into a bad winter in the accident and emergency units of our hospitals.

I have worked in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, in the accident and emergency unit and in the medicine for the elderly department. I have also worked in the accident and emergency unit in Beaumont Hospital. I worked in a system that was already overcrowded and full of trolleys when there were 100 more beds in the system than there will be this winter. We are heading for a monumental disaster, a breakdown in medical care and a serious loss of life in the north Dublin hospitals, as a result of the current situation. We all accept that health spending will be reduced over the coming years and this year, but there has been a failure of the Government and HSE management to get the deficit under control much earlier.

I suggest that three things be done. First, a similar approach should be taken to that which was taken to the banking sector. There should be a bailout of these hospitals for the remainder of this year. Second, the management of the HSE and the hospitals, who have contributed to this crisis by not dealing with the emerging deficit much earlier, should be replaced. Finally, a new funding system should be introduced next year based on the Fine Gael model of universal health insurance, where money follows the patient and hospitals are paid for the work they do, the number of patients they treat and the number of inpatients they have. Under this system, hospitals will never again try to making savings to meet their budgets by closing down hospital wards and cutting back on services. The whole situation is reminiscent of that famous "Yes Minister" episode where we are told by the civil servants that the most efficient hospital is one with no patients. Clearly, the current Government takes the same view that we achieve budget targets by closing down services. That is not the way it should be and I look forward to the Minister's response.

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney)

I will be taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children.

It is important to note that the number of inpatient beds open at any one time is only one indicator of the volume of service that hospitals can actually provide. Services should be provided on an outpatient or day case basis whenever possible, with patients only being admitted to acute inpatient care when it is essential to do so. In turn, this will involve reducing inappropriate hospital admissions, more same day of surgery admissions, more day-care cases and earlier discharges and reductions in waiting times for elective surgery.

The planned changes announced by the three hospitals are designed to allow them to deliver their service plan targets while remaining within budget. The HSE has assured the Department of Health and Children that none of the national speciality beds in these hospitals — neurosurgery, transplantation and cancer services in Beaumont, and heart and lung and national spinal injuries services in the Mater — have been affected by these bed reductions.

The reduction of beds must also be seen in the context of the reduction of delayed discharges. Since 2006, the winter initiative has focused on addressing the fundamental issues such as its code of practice for integrated discharge planning. This is being driven across the country by joint implementation groups, which have been formed across each geographic region and include hospital and community personnel. In 2009, the delayed discharge peak for the Beaumont and Mater Hospitals was 176 and 121 respectively. The total number of delayed discharges has now decreased in both hospitals to 70 and 69 respectively.

The nursing homes support scheme, known as "A Fair Deal", which has helped reduce delays in discharging patients from hospital, alleviates pressures on beds. An additional €97 million was provided for this scheme in the budget for 2010. Since the introduction of the scheme, it is estimated that the number of patients discharged from the Dublin academic teaching hospitals to nursing home care has more than trebled to 23 per week, equating to about 1,200 annually.

An initiative was put in place for seven hospitals, including the Mater and Beaumont, which were considered to have particular problems in emergency department waiting times. Each hospital has agreed specific work plans to drive performance improvements with targets in place, with progress being monitored on a weekly basis. Furthermore, a number of developments are also taking place in the three hospitals that reduce the need for inpatient beds. The Mater Smithfield rapid injury clinic, which opened in April 2010, acts as a satellite service to the Mater Hospital's emergency department. It has the capacity to reduce significantly patient waiting times as it can cater for at least 30% of the hospital's main emergency department cases. The clinic has treated over 4,000 patients since its opening in April 2010.

Building works currently underway for the Mater Hospital and scheduled for completion in early 2012 will provide a new accident and emergency department, a new outpatients department, 12 new theatres and intensive care unit and high dependency unit departments containing 36 beds, a new radiology department and 120 replacement beds in single rooms. During the summer, the HSE commissioned 32 additional step-down beds in the orthopaedic hospital at Clontarf for Beaumont Hospital. In addition, Beaumont Hospital is planning to commission 100 long-term care beds at St. Joseph's Hospital in Raheny.

Connolly Hospital is currently developing a medical assessment unit to increase patient access to senior clinical decision makers. This is due to come on stream in the new year. A new CT scanner was also installed in 2009 to provide increased diagnostic capabilities.

Reforming the way these services are provided, reducing costs, and maintaining a clear focus on patient safety will allow us to treat people in more effective ways and protect access to appropriate services. The implementation of this type of patient centred reforms by the Mater, Beaumont and Connolly Hospitals have the Minister's full support.

Health Services

Deputy Jan O’Sullivan

I regret that the Minister for Health and Children is not here to answer this matter on the Adjournment, not on my own behalf but on behalf of the young people who so desperately need answers on cystic fibrosis facilities. I hope the Minister of State will have answers for them.

The lives of cystic fibrosis patients depend on the speed at which the promised single-bed unit in St. Vincent's Hospital is delivered. Will the contract be signed on Friday 15 October, as has been indicated? How long will it take to build and how soon will it be open?

It is a national shame that these young adults, including household names such as Orla Tinsley, Anita Slowey, Gillian McNulty and others have had to go on the national airways and the front of our daily newspapers to get this most basic and vital service, namely, a hospital bed in a room on their own so that they are not exposed to the kind of cross infections that can take their young lives away. They have spoken out so eloquently, bravely and passionately that my time is better used putting their words, rather than mine, on the record. Anita Slowey wrote to RTE this week and her letter is reprinted on the front of today's Irish Examiner. She said:

Cross infection and multiple infection has resulted in the bugs that cause the infections in my body becoming stronger and harder to fight; out of the hundreds of antibiotics used to treat my disease I am only sensitive to one. This is as a direct result of being exposed to other patients and their germs in unisolated conditions in St. Vincent's Hospital. The result of this is that where I would normally spend two weeks in hospital getting better, I now spend between one and a half and two months fighting endless infections. In the last two years, I have spent ten months of that in St. Vincent's Hospital — the majority of which was in six bed wards.

Even though I have survived, every infection and sleepless night in St. Vincent's Hospital has slowly robbed me of a little more lung power, a little more energy, a little more spirit, and the will to survive has been slowly eroded away.

That is a very graphic description of the life and death situation in which these young patients find themselves. One young woman said on radio that she was asked to take part in a photograph on the site of the new unit when she was 18. She is now 31 and not a sod has been turned.

Other countries have much better facilities for these young people, where single bed wards are the norm, where they are not subject to these cross infections and where their lifespans are much longer. What they need from us is plain words and clear answers. Will the contract be signed on Friday week? How long will it take to build and fit out? Will the staffing be in place as soon as the building is ready to open? Can the single-bed units that do exist at the moment in St. Vincent's Hospital be available for cystic fibrosis patients? I hope there will be clear answers to these questions.

Deputy John Moloney

Without being glib, I fully understand the huge distress caused by cystic fibrosis. I remember well the presentations made when I was chairman of the health committee three years ago, and I will try to be as direct as I can. I am afraid the Minister could not be here this evening.

I am aware that the site has been cleared. The brief from the Department on the signing of the contract is imminent. I know that the word "imminent" can be stretched out, but I am satisfied that the development will take 18 months, and I have been told that it will be completed in early 2012.

This has been on the agenda for quite some time. We are about to enter the tender process and the clear commitment has been to 2012. It is in all our interests to ensure that we maintain these deadlines and watch the progress as we go through each month. While it might sound a bit hollow, the building of the new ward block at St. Vincent's hospital is a priority for the Government given that we are making the case and the tender is imminent. The Minister and the HSE have the same priority. St. Vincent's hospital and the HSE are working to ensure the earliest possible delivery of the new ward block. The Department has been advised by St. Vincent's hospital that the signing of the contract to commence the project is imminent. The site has been cleared and is ready for construction to begin. Construction will take 18 months and completion is expected early in 2012. The development at the hospital will provide a state-of-the-art clinical building which will include up-to-date isolation facilities with accommodation for people with cystic fibrosis.

I am aware of this morning's letter from Anita Slowey and I have heard Orla Tinsley on numerous occasions. We are aware of the urgency of ensuring that the commitments given here today will remain intact. This 100-bed inpatient unit with single en-suite rooms will accommodate the needs of patients with cystic fibrosis and many other patients whose medical requirements necessitate single en-suite facilities. This reflects best practice in terms of infection control. It will also provide ten single-day treatment rooms with en-suite sanitary facilities. The hospital has been in regular contact with the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland and with the cystic fibrosis patient liaison group in the hospital. It has explained the detail of the process that is being worked through.

The Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland has accepted that the tender process will be completed very shortly. Clearly, I would prefer to be in a position to say what "shortly" means, but I believe it will be within a number of weeks. When that process is completed construction will commence. The physical infrastructure at St. Vincent's hospital has been significantly enhanced through a number of completed capital projects in recent years. In 2008, the accommodation was refurbished to provide eight single en-suite rooms for the exclusive use of people with cystic fibrosis. The hospital's management works closely with the cystic fibrosis clinicians to ensure that the needs of cystic fibrosis patients requiring inpatient treatment are met within the overall bed complement at the hospital. There are currently 63 beds at St. Vincent's hospital used for respiratory and cystic fibrosis services. The hospital currently treats more than 50% of Irish adults with cystic fibrosis. The HSE is now working with St. Vincent's hospital to identify opportunities for patients who do not require tertiary level care to be treated closer to home where adult services have been developed in the other specialist centres.

Funding has been provided for the recruitment of additional specialist staff at St. Vincent's hospital and other hospitals which provide specialist care as part of a national initiative to improve care for patients with cystic fibrosis. These staff include consultant, nursing and allied health professionals. The Minister and the HSE are committed to this very important project at St. Vincent's hospital which will improve the services available to patients with cystic fibrosis attending the hospital. I am not in a position to answer the Deputy's question regarding the use of rooms at present and I will respond to her during the week.

Deputy Jan O’Sullivan

I ask that the Minister of State present or the Minister for Health and Children make a statement by tomorrow on what imminent means. People really want to get a definite date. I ask the Minister of State or the Minister to engage with St. Vincent's hospital and the HSE to get people a date.

Deputy John Moloney

It will not be tomorrow but in the next few days. It will be within the next week.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

We cannot enter into a debate.

Deputy Finian McGrath

There is already a date being mentioned of 15 October.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

I call Deputy Upton.

Deputy Finian McGrath

On a point of order, may I ask the Minister of State——

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

There is no point of order.

Deputy Finian McGrath

Is that date accurate?

Deputy John Moloney

Deputy Jan O'Sullivan has quite correctly pointed——

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

I ask the Deputy to resume his seat. We must move on.

Deputy Finian McGrath

I ask the Acting Chairman to let the Minister of State answer.

Deputy Jan O’Sullivan

That is the date I indicated in my——

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

I call Deputy Upton.

Deputy Finian McGrath

The Minister of State was about to answer. Is 15 October the date?

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

We are on Matters on the Adjournment and the Minister of State has replied. I call Deputy Upton.

Deputy Jan O’Sullivan

We need clarity as to whether it is 15 October.

Preschool Services

Deputy Mary Upton

I take this opportunity to also support Deputy Jan O'Sullivan on everything she has said on the need for beds in St. Vincent's hospital. I have also raised the issue a number of times in this House. Every day that those people wait for a bed their lives are literally being put at risk. I also take this opportunity to note the need for post-transplant facilities for cystic fibrosis patients within St. Vincent's hospital. This is a debate that has gone on for a long time and we need action urgently.

I have made a number of representations to the Minister of State with responsibility for Children and Youth Affairs on the anomalies in the free preschool year scheme. Every reply contains the exact same information, which is that the scheme as it stands is working adequately and will not be changed, but this is not my experience.

The concept of the free preschool is laudable, and it may be working well for a large number of people. However, I know of a number of individuals for whom it is not working. First, the age limit on eligibility precludes a number of children from availing of the free preschool year. It seems to be discriminatory to put in place an age range which, by adhering to it, means that some children, who will be eligible to attend primary school the following year, fall outside that range. It is not right that a child may be accepted in to a primary school at a certain age, but is outside the age range for the preschool in the previous year. For example, a child who is aged three in September is not eligible for a preschool place, but the same child, the following September, aged four, is eligible for a place in a primary school. This means that a number of children within those age brackets — it is only approximately two months — will fall outside the net.

If the Minister of State believes children should not be allowed to attend a primary school unless they are aged four years and two months in September, then he should say so. That gap causes an anomaly which precludes a number of children from availing of the free preschool year. Telling them they can wait for another year just puts an additional financial burden on their parents and does not solve the problem. The Minister of State has stated to me that this is a rule that applied to the "majority". Why is there a minority that is excluded and I seem to know a number of them? I do not understand the logic behind this rule.

Second, a number of anomalies exist in a playschool or preschool where different categories of children are being catered for. In a recent reply the Minister of State pointed out that parents may supplement the food for the children, by providing their own. I am aware of preschools and playschools with different categories of children qualifying for different subsidies. Some of them are entitled to free lunch or fruit snacks and others are not. It is not acceptable to stand by and tell a four year old or a three year old that he or she cannot have his or her quota of chopped-up apples today, but his or her friend in the same group can. This is not the real world, where in a disadvantaged area there will be different categories of children whose parents have different incomes. Is it reasonable or sensible to discriminate between the children who are getting subsidies, and those who are not, based on income?

I am asking the Minister to review the scheme to allow for those children who are eligible for primary school in any given year to also be eligible for preschool the previous year, regardless of their age. I realise this only applies to a small number of children, but that small number is very important. I am also asking the Minister of State to review the various subsidy systems that exist whereby children within the same playgroup must be treated differently. For those places that are in receipt of various different subsidies, those who must pay full rate are not entitled to any subsidy are now keeping their children at home. Many people whose income is just above the threshold are unable to afford the fee meaning that their only option is to keep the child at home, which is very discriminatory against that particular disadvantaged group that is on the margins and just outside the income level. I am asking the Minister of State to review the basis of the various subsidy schemes so that every child has a real chance of availing of a preschool place and not just those who can afford it. The current situation is simply creating another poverty trap for the marginalised.

The primary purpose of raising this matter is to address the anomaly regarding the age groups whereby by being a month or two outside the bracket certain children fall through the net and do not get the free preschool year.

Deputy John Moloney

I apologise that the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, could not be here to take this matter. The introduction of the free preschool year in early childhood care and education scheme is one of the most significant developments in early childhood care and education to have taken place in Ireland to date. Building on the progress made over the past decade, in terms of investing in child care and in developing educational frameworks for young children, we are now taking the first major step in providing universal preschool education for all children. More than 4,200 preschool services are now participating in the scheme and providing the free preschool year to some 63,000 children. This represents 94% of children in the year before starting school and is, I believe, a staggering achievement within nine months of the introduction of the scheme.

In addition, almost all preschool services in the country are participating in the scheme. These figures are testimony to the quality of our preschool services in responding to both the opportunities and challenges of the new scheme and to the commitment of parents to the importance of early learning for their children at a key developmental stage of their lives. While there is a potential for anomalies in any new scheme which is introduced, the Minister believes that the free preschool year scheme is working extraordinarily well for the vast majority of preschool service providers and for parents and their preschool children and I would not accept that there are any significant anomalies with its implementation. The Minister believes this is borne out by the very high participation levels achieved by the start of its first full year. Children are eligible for the free preschool year where they are aged between three years and three months and four years and six months in September of the relevant year. This means that children born between 2 February 2006 and 30 June 2007 qualified for the free preschool year in September 2010. The upper age limit does not apply where children are developmentally delayed and would benefit from participating in the pre-school year at a later age, or where local primary school enrolment policy requires them to start junior infants aged five years and seven months or older.

The scheme does not provide for any exceptions to the lower age of just over three years and two months at which children become eligible to avail of the free preschool year. The objective of the ECCE scheme is to make early learning in a formal setting available to eligible children in the key developmental year before they commence primary school. To achieve this, services participating in the preschool year are expected to provide age-appropriate activities and programmes to children within a particular age cohort. Targeting the preschool year at a particular age cohort is clearly fundamental to the scheme and it is necessary, therefore, to set minimum and maximum limits to the age range within which children participate in the scheme each year. In setting the minimum and maximum age limits, account was taken of a number of factors, including the fact that the majority of children commence primary school between the ages of four years and six months and five years and six months. Notwithstanding that, the ECCE scheme provides for an eligibility range of almost 17 months. As in the case of any scheme introduced, cases will arise where individuals would prefer if certain conditions did not apply. However, the scheme must remain sufficiently targeted to ensure the best delivery of pre-school education and it is considered, therefore, that the age range provided for is appropriate.

Research underpins the importance of delivering preschool provision in a consistent format based within an appropriate educational framework. For this reason, the preschool year scheme has been designed to provide some 570 hours for each participating child, which will be delivered on a weekly basis over the course of each year. Added flexibility is provided under the scheme for children with special needs who would benefit from availing of the pre-school year on a pro-rata basis over two years. This is very helpful to parents whose children may also be attending a special needs service but wish their children to avail of mainstream provision to the greatest extent possible. The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is also working closely with the Office of Disability and Mental Health with a view to optimising the current arrangements for the delivery of special needs supports for preschool children. The Minister of State, Deputy Andrews, hopes that this process will lead to improved arrangements at local level and greater access for children with special needs to mainstream services. Rather than wait until September 2010, the free preschool year was introduced in January of this year resulting in a shorter period of provision at that point.

As I have said, the first full year of the scheme came into effect this September. I would accept that this could be seen as an anomaly; however, the alternative would have been to delay the scheme and its benefits from the parents and children who would have missed out by a later introduction date. The shorter year provision in January 2010 was clearly signalled and was highlighted on the parent declaration forms that all parents were required to sign when enrolling their children into the scheme. An annual capitation fee of over €2,400 is paid to participating services. This is equivalent to €64.50 per week where a service is participating for 38 weeks and €48.50 per week where it participates for 50 weeks.

A higher capitation fee of €2,850 per annum is available to sessional play-school services in which all child care workers have specified qualification levels which are above the minimum requirements for the scheme. For most services, the scheme has seen an increase in their income and allows them to meet the higher standards required for participation relative to the existing requirements under the child care regulations. These higher standards concerning qualification of staff and the educational programme guided by Síolta will ensure that a quality service is provided to all children in their preschool year and not just those whose parents can afford to pay higher fees.

The Minister believes the decision to introduce the scheme at this time was far-sighted. The free preschool year gives equal opportunities to all children, particularly the most marginalised who would not otherwise be able to attend pre-school, as well as helping parents who, up to now, had to meet the cost of preschool provision themselves.

Cycle Paths

Deputy James Bannon

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me time to debate this important issue, namely, the need for the Minister for Transport to ensure that County Longford is included in, not excluded from, plans for a 2,000 kilometre national network of cycle paths, which will connect cities and towns across the State. Can the Minister tell me the reason this county, which is the heart of Ireland and could be regarded as the central focal point where all routes cross, should have been the only county to be precluded in the first place from the Minister's vision of world class cycle routes, considering all Longford has to offer in terms of amenities, sporting facilities, natural resources and scenic landscapes? The Minister should be aware that visions tend to be suspect at the best of times. That one in particular seems to be flawed, and the grounds for accepting its validity seem shaky.

This exclusion makes no sense. To most people an all-Ireland nationwide network of 25 rather than 26 counties is a joke. I would like to know the reason anyone could possibly plan or, in the case of the National Roads Authority, carry out a scoping study into the delivery of a national cycle network and, on foot of its findings, omit one county — my own county of Longford.

I remind the Minister that County Longford is very much part of this nation. There is outrage across the county as people cannot understand the reason a county with so much to offer could be left out of this exciting plan. This is by no means the first initiative that Longford has been excluded from to the detriment of its economic well-being and development. This omission is very worrying at a time of economic fallout from the loss of tourism revenue and record unemployment levels.

I would like the Minister to outline the criteria that was used to select the route of the network and also the criteria for exclusion. It makes no sense to me because this is a county which has the national primary route, the N4 from Dublin to Sligo, running through it and a national primary and secondary roads network — Rooskey to Rathowen and on to the Westmeath border, which is 35 kilometres. That route could be extended to Mullingar and beyond. The secondary route from the Granard-Cavan border to Tang, County Westmeath is 50 kilometres long and could be extended into the city of Athlone. The Longford to Lanesboro road is 15 kilometres long with the potential of extension to Roscommon town. These roads and others are more than wide enough to support a cycle lane.

The cycle route would complement the recent reopening of the Royal Canal from Spencer Dock in Dublin to Richmond Harbour in Clondra, County Longford. As has been seen across Europe, a canal network is a vibrant cross-country link between towns and rural areas, generating a view of the hidden interior rarely seen from motorways or trains. A road network for cyclists would tie in with this amenity. However, the canal is not a direct route and for those interested in road cycle routes which are not separated from the road by a grass verge or other barrier or heading away from the main areas, the roads network provides the quickest links. The idea of a cycle network has been incredibly successful in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands. Apart from the transport and leisure advantages, cycling is an extremely healthy activity and as such should be encouraged in all counties of Ireland, without exception.

Longford, both north and south, has some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. Its lakes, rivers and canal network provide a haven for tourists and locals alike for fishing, boating and other leisure pursuits. It is my understanding that the nodes of the proposed network are settlements around Ireland, with populations of 10,000 or more and the proposed route corridors are linked to tourist attractions and amenities. There are no grounds for excluding Longford. The corridors will provide an outline around which routes will develop nationwide, with potential for linkage between corridors, particularly where existing infrastructure will allow for cost-effective delivery. Again, there are no grounds for excluding Longford in that regard.

County Longford is essentially on the offshoot of the Dublin to Galway route, which I understand will be the main artery of the network. Common sense would lead one to see it as an integral part of any cycle network, as a final destination for those not wishing to undertake the longer route and as a stop-off point for those who do. Tourists planning to cycle along parts of the network could not find a more attractive county to aim for or a destination more likely to provide for a sporting holiday than Longford. The tie-in with the canal route allows for the possibility of cycling for part of the journey and travelling back by canal. This strikes me as a good link-up of resources.

On many occasions in this House and in the Seanad previously, I have highlighted the lack of funding for Longford-Westmeath and the removal of vital services. However, I did not think that at any time I would have to defend the geographical and logistical right of the county to be included in the definition of the nation. Longford was given neither hub nor gateway status and the pattern of exclusion seems set. Why this should be so I cannot imagine, but I am not prepared to stand by while my county is again treated with contempt.

Deputy John Moloney

I find it hard to believe that Deputy Bannon considers his county is being treated with contempt. I suppose the excuse is that the county did so well when Albert Reynolds was Taoiseach, ably followed by his protegé.

Deputy James Bannon

What did he deliver for Longford?

Deputy John Moloney

I remember passing through Longford one day and seeing a massive sewerage investment programme being developed. That went on for years. I am not trying to say that Longford lost a cycle route because so much went into Longford, far from it. I just recognise that significant infrastructure went into Longford in its time.

I am replying to this debate because, unfortunately, the Minister for Transport cannot be here this evening. Reflecting the need to commence early progress towards a sustainable transport future as outlined in the Government's smarter travel plan 2009-2020, Ireland's first national cycle policy framework was published in April 2009. The stated policy of this framework is to create a strong cycling culture in Ireland. The overall target is that 10% of all trips will be by bicycle by 2020. This is an ambitious target which means that cycling must be promoted and supported in all of our cities, towns and rural areas.

The development of a national network of both rural and urban cycling routes is a specific objective of the cycling policy framework. It identifies the need to deliver high quality cycle routes on a nationwide basis so as to encourage cycling for transport, leisure and tourism. The policy framework also identifies that the delivery of interurban routes, in the form of a national cycle network, would be in addition to the recognised need for the provision of safe cycling routes within urban areas. In response to that objective and at the Minister for Transport's request, the National Roads Authority undertook to carry out a scoping study on the extent of such a network. The NRA engaged with a range of stakeholders during the preparation of this scoping study, including the National Trails Office, Fáilte Ireland, Waterways Ireland and the CIE group. The range of stakeholders involved ensured that the study built on previous work and also engaged those who will be integral to the delivery of a national cycle network. The scoping study has been completed by the NRA and is available on the smarter travel website.

While the operational detail of the study and the assessments made are a matter for the NRA, the study outlines a number of key points. A number of criteria were chosen for testing the various route corridor options, including connecting major cities and settlements of greater than 10,000 population; facilitating commuter, leisure and tourism usage; connecting to the proposed Fáilte Ireland network; utilising existing infrastructure; achieving good coverage nationwide; and promoting social and economic development. The results are reflected in the strategic inter-urban corridors proposed in the study, which have a network length of some 2,000 km.

When considering the study, it is important to note that it explicitly states that the network it outlines represents corridors and not routes. The study does not indicate the specific routes that could be delivered along these broad corridors. The study also specifically notes that the identified corridors are seen as providing a skeleton around which development of the national cycle network should occur.

Deputy James Bannon

On a point of order, this is not the response I wanted.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

That is not a point of order.

Deputy John Moloney

I cannot read out the response the Deputy wants. I must give the facts.

Deputy James Bannon

The supporters of the Minister of State come from——

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

I ask Deputy Bannon to allow the Minister of State to complete his contribution.

Deputy James Bannon

I am very disappointed with the response and will not take it lying down.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

I ask Deputy Bannon to please allow the Minister of State to conclude. We are on a time schedule and must let him finish.

Deputy John Moloney

The only alternative I can offer is, in future, to ask Deputy Bannon to provide me with the response he wants me to deliver. Otherwise, I can only deliver the facts. That is what I am doing.

Deputy James Bannon

No disrespect to the Minister of State, but this is a shabby response, to say the least.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Cyprian Brady)

I ask the Minister of State to conclude, please.

Deputy John Moloney

It gets better. The study goes on to state that links and loops between and into these major corridors should also be considered in the context of developing an integrated network of national extent. The study highlights the particular benefits if such links make use of existing infrastructure. It also provides a focus for the development of a national cycle network.

Deputy Bannon has described what Longford has to offer in terms of amenities, sporting facilities, natural resources and scenic landscapes. Smarter travel and sustainable transport are important. Cycling routes have great potential for increasing mobility and accessibility and providing a real alternative to car journeys. The most important aspect of the plan is that by 2020, in ten years time, the Minister for Transport — whom I quietly expect to be still in office then — will be able to say the 10% has been achieved.

The Dáil adjourned at 5.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 12 October 2010.