The Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Purcell, issued a report yesterday on integrated ticketing. The cost to the taxpayer of this issue has been around €9 million so far, and it has been almost as many years in the making. We have nothing to show for all this, not even a smart card, except that the cost is rising on a daily basis. The Comptroller and Auditor General did not blame the operators and actors involved, including CIE, Dublin Bus, the Railway Procurement Agency and the private operators. He blamed the Government because there was nobody to co-ordinate the integrated ticketing system. He detected uncertainty in all those involved regarding the scale and nature of their roles in the Dublin transport network. The lack of a Government decision or anyone to co-ordinate critical transport issues in Dublin is creating traffic chaos. We discuss it every year but it has now reached the point where the suburbs of this city are unbearable.
When can we hope to see a transport authority in place? I see it is down for publication this term. If it does not have a statutory basis, will the Minister set up an authority that can co-ordinate the major traffic issues facing this city on an interim basis? This includes the port tunnel, the upgrade of the M50, integrated ticketing, buses and all the elements that need to be examined in this city. Can the Minister give the House a timescale, if not for a legislative procedure, then for an interim body?