Is that agreed? Agreed.
Private Members' Business. - Public Transport: Motion (Resumed).
The following motion was moved by Deputy Yates on Wednesday, 5 May 1999:
That Dáil Éireann, conscious of the current Budget surplus projected this year and the anticipated proceeds of the initial public offering of shares in Telecom Éireann, calls on the Government to immediately commit £140 million of public expenditure to alleviate the national traffic crisis in Dublin and other large regional urban areas; and further calls on the Minister for Public Enterprise to expend this allocation on the following measures to urgently enhance public transport capacity and alleviate traffic flows:
–the immediate ordering and purchase of an additional 250 buses this year for Dublin Bus, specifically to operate on the 11 quality bus corridors, with the objective of providing in the inner cordon area a bus every minute in peak times and every ten minutes thereafter;
–the provision of additional bus maintenance, garage, depot and other facilities to service this expansion of the bus fleet;
–the availability of ‘real time' information systems at bus stops as to vehicle location and passenger information;
–the availability of an integrated ticketing system with a specific provision for both day and monthly tickets covering multi-journeys;
–the provision of a satellite-facilitated, centrally-controlled vehicle tracking system for the entire bus network and a central radio call centre for the taxi industry;
–the availability of bus route franchising, whereby Dublin Bus would subcontract selected arterial routes to the private sector, particularly for cross-city travel;
–to carry out an immediate study and design of potential reverse and contraflow routes;
–the enhancement of air-to-ground traffic surveillance to extend coverage to the entire urban area of Dublin;
–additional investment in high technology traffic control systems in the suburbs to maximise junction capacity and ensure priority for public transport;
–the expansion of Operation Freeflow through additional staff resources, including training;
and furthermore, calls on the Minister to implement the proposals submitted by Bus Éireann to upgrade the public transport bus services in Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway.
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following:
"Dáil Éireann—
(a) welcomes the decisive response of the Government to the recommendations of the Dublin Transportation Office's short-term action plan;
(b) notes with satisfaction the progress which is being made in implementing the action plan, particularly the purchase of 150 extra buses and DART/suburban rail rolling stock, the implementation of the quality bus corridors and the upgrading of the suburban rail network;
(c) welcomes the provision for the first time of Exchequer capital funding to implement the bus and rail measures in the action plan;
(d) supports the Government in its commitment and determination to undertake further radical improvements to transport systems in the greater Dublin area and to provide for investment in urban public transport in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford;
(e) welcomes the recent Government decision to urgently commission costing and feasibility studies on short and medium-term suburban rail development programmes for Dublin and Cork;
(f) notes that the Dublin Transportation Office is nearing completion of a comprehensive transport, investment and traffic management programme for the period 2000-2006, which will be considered by the Government in its preparation of the National Development Plan.".
–(Minister for Public Enterprise).
Ms Shortall: I wish to share my time with Deputy Seán Ryan.
At a time of exceptional economic growth, when we are told the country is awash with money, queueing has become the national pastime. We queue for hospital beds, public and private housing, child care places and public transport. I am a public representative for the Dublin North-West constituency, where a very large proportion of the population is dependent on public transport, and this problem is presented at my constituency clinics and office on a number of occasions every week. However, despite surveys, reports and reviews of all sorts over the past decade, very little has been done about it. I wish I could target my anger at one individual but the truth is I have no single person to blame. The fundamental problem is that we have no accountability in our system.
As an elected member of Dublin Corporation, I sit on the newly created transportation and traffic strategic policy committee, a body which seeks to put together some form of planning for the city's transport and traffic problems but this important committee has no representative of Dublin Bus, Irish Rail or any statutory body with an interest and involvement in alleviating city traffic congestion. This is a fundamental problem with the new strategic policy committees. My understanding was that the whole point of those committees was to bring together the main players – the elected representatives, the city management, the director of traffic, those involved in providing public transport services and those involved in traffic. Unfortunately, however, those key representatives are disbarred from being members of these key strategic committees. The way we have found to get around that fundamental problem is to invite Dublin Bus and Irish Rail to attend our meetings and contribute to discussions, but they have no voting power. I ask the Minister to examine this gap in the provision of cross-sectoral involvement in dealing with our traffic and transport problems.
This lack of overall strategy and co-ordination deficit requires the Minister's intervention. While the Minister's lackadaisical, hands-off, "everything is grand" approach may suit her media image, it does not suit Dublin's commuters. We need action on this problem from a Minister who is proactive, willing to shoulder the burden of responsibility and willing to insist taxpayers get value for money, that commuters get the public service they deserve and that our elderly and disabled get the social service they urgently require.
What other Minister would allocate millions of pounds to a transport company without having any real say in how that money is spent? What other Minister would refuse to provide basic information, as she did when I asked in a recent parliamentary question about the level of subvention she is making to Dublin Bus? I asked how that percentage compares with the subventions given to public transport companies in other European cities, but the Minister refused to answer that question and referred me to the Library.
Quite clearly, the Minister's refusal to answer that question was based on the knowledge that if those figures were put in the public domain it would make the Government look very bad in terms of its commitment to public transport. The Government is providing a subsidy in the region of 4 per cent to Dublin Bus, which compares very badly with the subsidies of between 50 and 80 per cent – with transport in Athens receiving a subsidy of 80 per cent – which are the norm in other European cities.
Dublin Bus receives a great deal of criticism, some of which is deserved. However, we cannot expect a public transport company to provide a modern and efficient service unless it is on a proper financial footing. The meagre 4 per cent subsidy provided by the Minister is totally inadequate for that company to provide the kind of public transport service which is so urgently required in this city.
What other Minister would stand by and watch thousands of commuters stranded because of the lack of an overall policy? Deputy Mitchell spoke last night about the need for a Minister for traffic. It would be a start if we simply had a Minister who showed some real interest in the problem. Accountability is at the heart of this problem. We have very poor accountability at ministerial level and there is virtually no accountability to the customer. I call on the Minister to take urgent action and to take responsibility for public transport. She must ensure the people of Dublin are given the level of service they urgently require so that they will no longer have to queue to go about their daily business.
I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak on the motion. I have no difficulty supporting this motion as I, and the Labour Party, have always acknowledged the necessity of an efficient and properly funded public transport system. However, over the years, the car lobby has been more successful than the public transport lobby in securing the ear of the Department of Finance whether for local, Exchequer or EU funding. Thankfully, that has changed in some regards and I hope that can be developed.
Dublin city and county are effectively gridlocked for most of the day, and this has major social, environmental and economic costs for our city. Why has Dublin Bus not provided the quantity and quality of service that would encourage greater numbers of people to leave their cars at home and travel by bus? The use of the DART service between Bray and Howth indicates how people can be attracted by frequent services.
While Dublin Bus must take some responsibility for the present problems, the lack of subvention is also a major cause. Over the years, the subvention has been reduced from £16.4 million in 1987 to £8.8 million last year, and that does not take inflation into account. It is a scandal that public transport in Dublin receives the lowest subvention of any capital in Europe.
New buses are required, all of which must be wheelchair accessible. The DTI recommended the provision of quality bus corridors. These have not come on stream as quickly as quickly as we would like. However, I accept the local authorities have a role to play and that delays have caused some of the problems in that regard.
Our capital city is badly in need, in the short-term, of a transport innovation for the millennium. The provision of an all night bus service for Dublin city and suburbs should be examined. There is a public outcry for transport services, particularly at weekends. There has been a complete change in social behaviour and this warrants such a service. The present arrangements are totally inadequate. All night bus services would provide a level of safety for the public, the manpower and materials are available and such services would gain the full support of the public, even at a cost, and would create an incentive for car owners to use public transport. This would be a great initiative for the millennium. The proposal was brought to my attention by Mr. Thomas Darby, retired general secretary of the bus and rail workers union and I understand it has also been put to the Minister.
It is a scandal that people living on the peninsula of Donabate in my constituency cannot get to work from that rapidly growing suburb due to the lack of a bus service. An examination of the need for Nipper bus services throughout the county is long overdue. It should be possible in a town such as Swords, for example, to have Nipper buses rather than double decker buses bringing people from newly developed residential areas into that town and then have them travel in double decker buses into the city. What is needed is finance. This Government, despite the money it has at its disposal, has failed the people of Dublin. It is time it started to look after them.
I wish to share my time with Deputies Micheál Kitt, O'Flynn, McGuinness and Hanafin.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
This morning I had an early meeting in Ballyfermot and on my way back to Leinster House I turned off the road at Bluebell. I was listening to Deputies Moynihan-Cronin, Callely and others talking to Marion Finucane on the radio about the essential role of TDs and their clinics. I had another appointment at 10 a.m. in Leinster House but it was 9.55 a.m. when I got here.
The traffic moved at a snail's pace. The first obstacle was a JCB pottering along the road in front of the traffic. When I reached St. Stephen's Green, traffic was delayed by a skip being loaded onto the back of a lorry which took up a traffic lane. At the top of Grafton Street, the famous No. 10 bus was broken down at the corner of St. Stephen's Green clogging up the traffic in the process. On Molesworth Street a driver parked her car, turned on its hazard lights and went into the offices of the ISPCC.
There is as large a problem with traffic management in the city as there is with the provision of resources. I guarantee Members that if they leave the House now to travel down Suffolk Street, they will find a series of drinks lorries decanting kegs of beer at every pub on that road, clogging the traffic at every corner. I agree with Deputy Shortall that co-ordination is essential. There must be some form of co-ordination between the operators and users of the transport system.
The Irish are latter day converts to the merits of public transport. It is not long ago, certainly before the introduction of the DART, that public transport was regarded as a second class mode of transport. As soon as a person accumulated a few pounds they tended to buy a car and were quick to show it off in the nearest town.
I support the amendment. The work the Minister is doing in co-operation with CIE, Dublin Bus and others is admirable. There is no reason Operation Freeflow should not operate through the year, apart from the allocation of Garda resources and there are more imaginative ways of dealing with that. I commend Owen Keegan, the director of traffic, and the Garda Síochána on the introduction of the new radio station. It will be a great help. The commuter requires more and accurate information about the availability of car parking places and the traffic problems throughout the city. I also commend the introduction of clamping. It was not a popular development but I support it and I believe it should be introduced in certain suburbs.
The 12 quality bus corridors being brought on stream before the end of 2000 are an important first step, but only that. The Lucan corridor is working effectively and the Finglas QBC is due to come on stream on 14 June. I cannot understand why the Finglas QBC has taken so long. Work started on it 18 months ago and it is still not complete. It is most unwise to bring quality bus corridors into operation before all the works are complete. That gives the impression that the work has not been thought out properly. The surveillance cameras, for example, are not in place. The yellow boxes and traffic lights sequences are not in place. Deputies receive constant complaints from motorists who are obliged to sit in their cars on the only available lane on the Finglas quality bus corridor and look at the empty lane beside them. The introduction of 150 new buses will make a difference but until work on quality bus corridors is complete they should not be brought into operation.
I compliment the Minister on her ambitions for Luas. Many people derided her proposals but we must plan for the city's transport requirements 30 years from now. Much of the work in this area has been bedevilled by short-termism. The Minister's proposals are innovative, imaginative and long overdue. I welcome the consultation taking place about the phase linking Broadstone to the airport. If I were an airport customer, I would wish to be able to get to the airport as quickly as possible. There is a need to establish a quick link from Broadstone through DCU and the rejuvenated Ballymun to Dublin Airport as quickly as possible. Local discussions are taking place in Finglas and Ballymun about how Luas might traverse the area and I welcome that initiative. It is important that a Luas line be located in such areas where there is high dependency on public transport.
When schools are closed there is a perceptible reduction in traffic. The introduction of school buses in the Dublin area would be a worthwhile innovation. It would prevent much of the congestion caused by parents having to drop their children to the gates of the school. I commend the motion.
I congratulate the Government and this Minister on the major developments which have taken place in public transport in the last two years. The provision of high quality public transport is vitally important for the commercial and social life of the country. This is certainly true for Galway.
Bus Éireann is embarking on a comprehensive bus replacement scheme for its urban bus services. The company proposes to purchase 40 new buses for this purpose this year. I am particularly glad that Galway will receive the first tranche of these new buses. I understand they have already been delivered and should be in operation in the near future. This development will create major improvements in both the quality and frequency of urban bus services, which will be welcomed by everybody. CIE has submitted an investment review to the Minister for Public Enterprise which proposes investment in buses and to improve bus priority. I look forward to a positive response to these proposals in the forthcoming national development plan.
I wish to advocate the establishment of a commuter style rail service between Galway city and towns such as Oranmore, Athenry and Tuam. Dublin is not the only city with traffic problems. Galway endures the misery of traffic tailbacks stretching miles in all directions. Existing railway links between Galway and the towns of Oranmore, Athenry, Tuam and Ballinasloe could be used for commuter style rail services. These services must be a central part of transport proposals in the coming years. This proposal makes econ omic sense when one considers that the estimated cost of developing a mile of motorway is up to £5 million compared with the cost of £0.3 million for upgrading a mile of railway track.
A major transport and land use survey is being carried out at present in Galway. It is examining the problem of traffic jams from Galway to Claregalway, Oranmore and Barna. It is fortunate the train station in Galway is located in Eyre Square in the heart of the city, which is not the case in every town or city. When the Galway train arrives in Heuston Station, for example, a person is required to get further transport to the city centre, the airport or the ferry.
Other areas of Galway where commuter services are needed are Renmore, Merlin Park, Oranmore and Athenry with extensions to Tuam, Gort and Ballinasloe in the near future. I understand the traffic build up in Galway is at a level predicted for 2020. There is an urgent need to develop a rail transport system.
I congratulate Bus Átha Cliath for replacing 120 old buses with 120 new double decker buses which will increase capacity by 2,450 passenger trips. Bus Átha Cliath is also in the process of subcontracting 50 school bus runs to private operators, thus releasing buses and increasing capacity by 3,500 passenger trips. I also welcome the fact that ten new carriages for the DART service are due for delivery in September 1999 while a further 16 will be delivered in September 2000.
I welcome the improvements on the Galway-Dublin railway line. The section between Galway and Ballinasloe was closed for some months but it has now been improved and reopened. There is now a better train service for people travelling from Galway to Dublin and Dublin to Galway. The good news is that trains are arriving on time. This is important for people who have business and hospital appointments and people who want to get to Dublin earlier.
I support the amendment. I hope we will be able to get the necessary funding for public transport.
I express my amazement at this motion tabled by Fine Gael.
That is the not the first time the Deputy expressed it.
We debated the same motion on 9 December 1997. I could make the same speech I made on that occasion.
The Deputy should be able to make a better speech because nothing has happened since then.
Has Fine Gael run out of issues to discuss? This is like a rerun of an old movie.
"The Quiet Man" is watched every day in Cong.
We are wasting valuable time when we have already discussed this issue and the Government has put in place a programme for public transport. The Government is performing so well that all Fine Gael can do is nit-pick. I have not heard about any problems in Cork during my local election campaign.
The Deputy has got a big car.
Mr. Coveney
What about public transport in Cork?
The Deputy is not living in the real world.
I support the amendment. I congratulate the Government and the Minister in particular for the major developments and initiatives in public transport in the past two years. I have personal experience of using the buses in Dublin. I got the 11A bus from Clonskeagh this morning and I was in here at 8 a.m. It is a well run service and I congratulate Bus Átha Cliath on its excellent work.
The provision of high quality public transport is vitally important for the commercial and social life of the country, including Cork. In the past I was critical of the high average age of the city bus fleet in Cork which is between 11 and 14 years old. I am glad to note that under this Government Bus Éireann is embarking on a comprehensive bus replacement scheme for its urban services. I understand the company proposes to purchase 40 new buses this year. That will create major improvements in the quality and frequency of urban bus services, a move which will be welcomed by everyone.
It was confirmed today by the management of Bus Éireann that over half of the 40 new buses are earmarked for Cork and that seven city buses will arrive in Cork by the end of this month. I understand that plans are being finalised with staff for the introduction of these buses. Deputy Michael Kitt said that three buses have already arrived in Galway. That is the first tranche of ten buses which will come into the country this year.
I hope the buses in Cork city are given a distinct livery, such as Cork City Bus. I hope Bus Éireann does away with the wrap around advertising on some of its fleet, particularly if it does not need the revenue generated from it.
I am happy to note the investment proposals put forward by CIE on the opening of new stations and the provision of new services on the Mallow Cork and Cork/ Cobh routes. The Arrow service is over-subscribed in Cork. People queue every day for this service because of its efficiency and frequency. I hope CIE presses ahead with its proposals to open the Kilbarry station in Blackpool and the Blarney station close to my home. I also hope it introduces the Arrow service on the Cork/Mallow line. I welcome the upgrading of the railway track on the Mallow-Tralee line.
I am glad the Minister has authorised a feasibility study of the Cork-Midleton line and that she is considering reopening it. Kent station, Tivoli and Ballynoe, which is near the cross ferry river in Cobh, are along that line. Some 600 new houses are planned for that area which needs a new railway station. I hope that will be included in the proposals once the feasibility study is completed. The six miles of track would cost approximately £6.2 million. I hope the Government reopens Midleton and Carrigtohill stations as these two areas have a combined population of approximately 8,000, which is similar to Cobh.
I welcome the recent decision by the Government to invest heavily in CIE and to urge it to look at its property portfolio and to sell off unwanted properties which could make vast sums of money to help it improve its services and its capital programme over the next few years.
I urge the Opposition not to waste any more time in the Dáil by tabling such motions. It should let Government policy take its course.
The next time the Deputy is sitting in a traffic jam he should ring Deputy Yates.
I thank Deputy Owen for her comments yesterday and I hope the Taoiseach took note of them.
I support the amendment but I do so on the basis of the need to look at what is happening outside Dublin. There is general transport chaos and congestion because of the need for private transport companies to service Dublin. We should look at the manner in which Dublin docks operate and at the flow of trucks into and out of the city. It takes me one and a half hours to drive to Kilkenny but it takes me two and a half hours to get from Kilkenny to the Dáil. Anyone who commutes to Dublin to work on a daily basis or who transports goods to it from other parts of the country is affected by the inefficiencies of the transport system.
There is life beyond Dublin. I ask the Government to focus on Kilkenny and on the fact there is no daily commuter system for people from Carlow or Kilkenny which would help to take cars off the road. With Government decentralisation an office is being set up in both counties. There is a need to ensure a commuter service is in operation. Recently at an Oireachtas sub-committee a Mr. Finn from Iarnród Éireann said the commuter service would be provided from both counties in the near future. Will the Minister ensure that commuter service is provided without delay? I have been informed the only reason for the delay is the logistics of catering for such a service in the Dublin station. In this day and age that problem should be overcome in the interests of the environment, in the interests of taking cars off the road and in the interests of ensuring quality of life in country areas and that people in country areas can commute daily to Dublin.
The issue of tax designation was mentioned. Kilkenny station is in the new tax designated area. I appeal to the company to drive the current plans to provide all the infrastructure necessary and to develop Kilkenny railway station. It has at its disposal the land around that station, it has tax designation and there is not any reason for delay. Whatever delays there are in its planning system should be tackled.
An extension of the rail service and proper road facilities to Bellvue port is essential. Bellvue has the ability to become the next Ringaskiddy. With proper infrastructure and money up front that can be achieved in the south-east. There was never a better time for either the Government or private individuals in partnership with the Government to ensure a proper road structure is put in place immediately. We have only to travel on any of the roads leading to Bellvue port to understand the need for a proper road infrastructure. In this I include a proper rail structure servicing that port. I suggest the funds either from the Government or private individuals should be made available to develop the railway line and the ring roads around Kilkenny city and Carlow town. Given that the south-east has much to offer there must be access to Dublin. To achieve this millions of pounds must be spent on the infrastructure, bearing in mind that for 15 years nothing was spent on it. It is almost a forgotten part of the country.
Kilkenny city, which was not mentioned in the Minister's speech, is thriving. It has an increasing population and needs a public bus service. Estates on the outskirts of the city do not have a public service although a limited service is provided by the private sector. The time has come when CIE should invest, by way of partnership, with the private companies, reduce the size of the buses traversing a medieval city and provide an efficient bus service throughout the city. There are a number housing estates being built without public service access to the city centre, schools, hospitals and so on. There is an urgent need for the Government to recognise the need for a public service. Given that this need is not recognised in the Minister's speech, I appeal to her to ensure the inclusion of Kilkenny city in the development of a public-private bus service. I appeal to her also to look at Carlow town which is one-and-a-half hours from Dublin by car. Due to property prices, people who want a certain quality of life and want to live in counties such as Carlow or Kilkenny want to be in a position to commute. I appeal to the Minister to ensure funds are spent not only in Dublin but in other centres.
One of the greatest signs of the prosperity, wealth and growth of the country is increased traffic and increased car ownership. This is due not only to an increase in population but to the numbers of successful young people earning big salaries or returning from abroad with money to spend who spend it on their own private transport. The traffic problem evolved as an inevitable consequence of our prosperity. Perhaps this should have been anticipated some years ago but certainly we recognise it as a good which has lead to an evil development.
There is more at issue than what the Government can do about public transport. There is a culture and mindset in how people perceive public versus private transport. That Ireland did not have an undergound such as the Metro when other capital cities got into the habit of using public transport, meant that for many years people here felt it was a major step forward to move away from public transport and own cars. While we are changing the facilities, increasing investment, working on the various reports and recommendations we need to look at the culture and the mindset of those we are encouraging to use the public transport.
Unlike some of my colleagues I wecome the opportunity to discuss this issue because it is a major problem for the city of Dublin, throughout the county and in the south suburbs. The problem should be tackled by the Government, the transport authorities – the Dublin Transport Authority, Bus Átha Cliath, the DART etc, – and at a local level.
I welcome what initiatives the Minister has taken in recent months. The additional 150 buses, at a cost of £25.5 million, have already been approved. The quality bus corridors were a great idea but a little premature. There is no point in having a quality bus corridor if we do not have the buses. We have excellent bus lanes but there are no buses on them. The buses should have come first to be followed by the quality bus corridors.
The Minister failed to get them.
At least they would then work to capacity. My constituency of Dun Laoghaire is fortunate to have nine DART stations. The extra carriages coming on stream in September are welcome. The extra 16 giving a total of 26 by 2000 are also welcome and will increase capacity by 30 per cent. The extension of the platform at Blackrock, one of the busiest stations, is also welcome.
The report on rail safety had major implications not only for rail systems throughout the country but for some stations and signals in my constituency. Immediate action is being taken on that. However, the traffic problem still exists. There are a number of things I would like the authorities to look at, particularly Bus Éireann, some of which are recommended in the motion. I cannot understand why every bus has to start in Bray and end up in Dublin city. By the time it gets to Clonkeen Road it is chock-a-block and cannot take any more passengers. I have contacted Dublin Bus on a number of occasions asking if it would do short runs, particularly at school time, between Bray and Blackrock, but to no avail. At school times we need a proper system.
We also need a community service. People who live within two miles of Loughlinstown Hospital, in Ballybrack or Loughlinstown, have no way of getting to the hospital. People who do not have private transport have to go into Dun Laoghaire or to Dublin to get another bus out to the hospital. A proper community service should be provided in suburban areas.
Buses should also be replaced as the need arises. A delegation from Bus Éireann speaking about the school bus system throughout the country told us it had modern buses. One member of the committee looked at the cover of the video presented to us, highlighting its wonderful facilities, which showed a 1979 bus. The replacement of buses is an urgent matter. In the interests of safety the authorities must ensure crushing a la Japan does not take place. People are in a rush to get to work, but physically pushing passengers onto the DART is not safe or good enough.
Problems emerge in the suburbs in terms of parking because people want to use public transport. There is a need to provide areas where people can park and use feeder buses. This would encourage people to take the DART and use buses. Another difficulty is that every estate now wants ramps, double yellow lines and disc parking. This is in addition to the problem that there is not proper disc parking and the traffic wardens are being removed. These problems are adding to the difficulties in the suburbs. The transport problems in Dublin must be dealt with on three fronts, the Government, the authorities and the local councils.
I understand Deputy Kenny wishes to share his time with Deputies Coveney, Owen, Fitzgerald, Flanagan, Stanton and Sargent.
It is a mighty body of people.
Almost a bus full.
The motion calls for the expenditure of £140 million from the sale of Telecom Éireann on public transport and the alleviation of the traffic crisis in Dublin and other regional centres. A number of practical suggestions have been outlined that could be implemented and would greatly alleviate the stress and pressure felt by people. Much sense was spoken by a number of Members on the Government benches and I hope they decide to back up that positive approach by supporting the motion.
I have used the road from Fairview and Clontarf on a number of occasions in the morning. It is astounding that there is only one lane of traffic entering the city on that route in the morning. It is incredible. The frustration, curses and passion expressed by drivers about city managers, the Government and traffic managers is incredible. Deputy Yates made a proposal regarding contraflows and reverse flows. These operate in most cities and the proposal should be implemented immediately. This would mean that three lanes would be available for traffic in the morning and the evening. A reverse flow is manageable, practical and successful.
It is possible to move more people per hour by train than by any other method. Many people assume that Ireland has reached the stage of a developed country because of the effects of growth in the economy. However, that is far from the case. We have reached the stage where we are suffering serious stress in terms of skills shortages and inability to do business efficiently and professionally by movement through areas such as Cork, Galway, Dublin and elsewhere. This has a disadvantageous effect on the way people view Ireland.
The Government should be magnanimous and take on board some, if not all, of the practical proposals made. It should consider making a real impact on providing a quality rail service throughout the country. Thousands of commuters would use the rail service if it was efficient, professional, comfortable and economical. The western line from Athlone to Westport and Ballina, with which the Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, is familiar, needs a real shake up. Passengers are acutely aware of the impact of possible derailments such as those which occurred in recent years.
I commend the efforts of members of Iarnród Éireann in presenting the facilities which exist. For example, the local stationmaster in Castlebar won the inter-city award for the presentation of rail stations nationally. I commend him and his staff on their efforts.
Mr. Coveney
I congratulate Deputy Yates and Deputy Mitchell on tabling the motion. Once again, this side is trying to focus the Government's mind on finding solutions to traffic and public transport problems in urban centres. My role is to deal with the area I represent, Cork city, and the comments of Deputy O'Flynn made my blood boil. He accused the Opposition of wasting valuable Government time. He said he has found during the local elections campaign in Cork that people have no problems with public transport and traffic. However, the Deputy insulted the people of Cork and I refute his comments. I hope other Deputies on the Government side who represent people in Cork will give a more accurate reflection of the situation in the city at present.
The difference between Cork and other parts of the country is that a land use and transportation plan has been implemented over the past 20 years. This has resulted in £30 million being spent on the road infrastructure in and around Cork city and the ring road network will improve traffic flow considerably. The full benefit will be reaped when the Lee tunnel and the Blackpool bypass open. However, while the road infrastructure may have improved, largely due to EU funding, the overall land use and transportation plan will not succeed in reducing traffic problems unless the public transport needs are also addressed and the roads can be used to their maximum potential. A motorway is no use during rush hour if it is gridlocked with cars, lorries and buses. The only way the roads will be used to their maximum capacity is if people are offered an alternative to using their cars. This would mean a smaller number of cars trying to get into the centre of the city.
When people think of traffic problems they always refer only to Dublin. Perhaps this is why the people of Cork have been treated as second class citizens from a public transport point of view. Two major issues need to be solved in Cork. The first is that there is not enough buses in the Cork bus fleet and, second, the fleet is too old to be as efficient as possible. Of the 63 buses in Cork, 45 date from 1984 or earlier. They are almost beyond their useful life and we are supposed to be encouraging people to use public transport as an alternative to cars.
Bus Éireann in Cork has devised a plan which it considers would have a significant impact on traffic problems there. I call on the Minister to invest in public transport because Bus Éireann in Cork does not have the resources to implement its plan and the Government can afford it at present. Money from the budget surplus and the sale of Telecom Éireann shares should be put back into the economy through investment in public transport.
I welcome studies on long-term traffic plans, but the immediate and urgent requirements are simple from the point of view of buses. There is a need for more and newer buses. Deputy O'Flynn said earlier that seven new buses are on their way to Cork. He said he was informed of this by the management of Bus Éireann this morning. I also spoke to the management of Bus Éireann this morning and I too was told that seven new buses are coming to Cork. However, I was also told that this is only scratching the surface of the problem because the seven new buses will merely replace older buses that are not fit to be on the road. They will have no impact on the overall size of the fleet which drastically needs to be increased. A total of 40 new buses are needed, not ten. There is a need to replace buses but also to increase the size of the fleet. People will use buses if they are offered a service which is on time, clean, modern and accessible to all. The one positive aspect of the seven new buses for Cork is that they are accessible to wheelchair users and I welcome that. I reiterate my disgust at what Deputy O'Flynn said this morning. I hope the Cork Deputies on the Government benches will give a more accurate reflection of the problems there.
I commend my colleagues Deputies Yates and Olivia Mitchell for this very timely motion. We will put it down again and again until the Government reaches a stage where it can admit to having a traffic policy.
I take this opportunity to call on the Taoiseach as head of Government to recognise that the lack of a coherent traffic policy in Dublin and other cities will mean that the young people in the public gallery today will experience the effects of gridlock and traffic congestion and suffer from ulcers, heart attacks and frustration unless the Government adopts the measures in this motion. It is interesting that my colleague, Deputy Olivia Mitchell, who was first elected less than two years ago, has made more impact than the Minister dealing with transport. Her name is synonymous with trying to find solutions for gridlock in Dublin. The Government has a cheek to table an amendment to this motion.
Where are the park and ride buses which operated during the Christmas period? We need a permanent park and ride service in the capital, in Cork, Waterford and other large cities. Will those who direct traffic policy be more innovative and introduce long-term rather than short-term measures?
There was a time when the buses in Dublin were referred to as grapes, because they came in bunches. I would welcome a few "grapes", because now we do not see buses coming, even in bunches. I drive in from Malahide every morning, trying to avoid the rush hour traffic, but there is no time during the day when there is not a traffic jam on the road from the northside through Malahide, Coolock, Donnycarney, Clontarf and Fairview. Deputy Kenny referred to a blockage in Fairview at Edge's Corner which is fondly known as the library, because one has time to read a library book sitting in the traffic jam. It is ready made for the counter flow that Fine Gael proposes. We have one lane and a bus lane for inward traffic and when I am caught in the traffic I sit and count the buses using the bus lane beside me. One could count them on one hand.
North Dublin has a train service which is completely under resourced. I welcome the fact the previous Government agreed to extend the DART service to north Dublin stations from the middle of next year. Unless there is investment in decent car parking facilities and measures to alleviate congestion in the towns with DART stations, people will continue to use cars. I am calling for proper investment in infrastructure to complement the DART.
Bus Átha Cliath should allow private buses on some routes, for example orbital buses. Why should the people of Ballyboughal, Naul and Garristown be denied a bus service because the bus route is from Garristown to the city centre instead of to Swords, from where they could link into bus services? We need innovative and imaginative thinking on traffic policy.
For more than a year the Minister has had a proposal from Crossans to run a private bus service from Howth junction to Dublin airport to enable people from Howth and the surrounding areas to take the DART and then get a private bus to the airport. I call on the Minister to give a decision on that innovative proposal.
The people would have an extra access point to Dublin airport until such time as Luas is in place or there is a proper rail service to the airport.
I congratulate Deputies Yates and Olivia Mitchell on the trojan work they have done on the huge public transport crisis in Dublin and throughout the country. The Government's response to the motion is disturbing and does not seem to indicate it is aware of the crisis.
Urgent crisis measures are needed to deal with the traffic as well as better long-term planning. We have neither. The Luas project is way behind schedule and will cost much more than was estimated for. This is adding to the problems in the south inner suburbs, where traffic is the number one issue. The traffic problem has the potential to seriously undermine our economic success. The infrastructural deficits in transport, child care and housing are driving people who returned to Ireland to leave again. Such services are taken for granted in cities in other countries.
This motion is timely and reflects the concerns of Dublin citizens whose quality of life is being affected. The journey time for most journeys has been extended by up to an hour in the past year. This serious problem is not getting the appropriate response at Government level. Quite a good deal can be done in the short-term. In Dublin South-East we need a range of traffic calming measures. Dublin Corporation is doing a good job but does not have sufficient resources. We need to ensure that it has the resources to implement traffic calming measures which would make a huge difference to the suburbs. It is very clear there is no point in having quality bus corridors if there is an insufficient number of buses. We need to order more buses. Empty bus corridors are a major source of annoyance to drivers.
In the longer term it is good policy to move people from private to public transport. It is unrealistic to expect people to change to public transport if the public transport service does not get them to work and around the city. We need to take the initiative on school transport. Commuters are clogging up the roads bringing children to and from schools, because they have no alternative. We need a plan at national level to deal with this issue with proper consultation and liaison between the Department dealing with transport and the schools. There is a great deal more to say, but my main point is that urgent action is needed and the measures outlined by my colleagues would make a difference.
I join others in complimenting my colleagues Deputies Yates and Olivia Mitchell for keeping high on the agenda the issue of traffic gridlock and public transport in Dublin. As we approach the end of another Dáil year I regret there has been little action on this issue by the Coalition Government. I left home this morning at 8.10 a.m. and arrived at Newlands Cross at 8.50 a.m. It took me until 10.35 a.m. to arrive in Leinster House, the Order of Business was under way. This is unbelievable. Despite Deputy Yates, Deputy Olivia Mitchell and others keeping this matter high on the agenda for the last 12 months or more, it is extraordinary that little or nothing has been done by way of initiative by the present Government.
Iarnród Éireann is chopping and changing timetables in a high-handed manner, with little regard to the needs of the public. In my town, Portlaoise, over 2,000 private sector houses are currently being built and many people commute daily to Dublin. A major reason for people moving to Portlaoise is the quality of life available in the midlands, which is not available in Dublin, and Portlaoise is a good commuter town because of the rapid rail service to the capital. Without consultation or regard for the public's wishes, Iarnród Éireann decided that the 5.30 p.m. train from Dublin to Cork will no longer stop at Portlaoise and that commuters will have to make alternative arrangements. This is a gross interference with and diminution of the quality of life of those commuting daily from the town. I call on the company to reverse that decision.
A number of my constituents in County Offaly have complained that Bus Éireann buses no longer stop at request stops in Rochfortbridge and Milltownpass on the Galway-Dublin route. Old age pensioners in particular are discommoded when the buses refuse to stop, again for reasons which have not been made known to consumers. Bus Éireann should act to ensure consumers can use the public transport system.
Packed trains are also causing difficulties for my constituents. The Friday Dublin-Cork train is full when it leaves Heuston Station and when it gets to Portlaoise there is no room for anyone wishing to board. Similarly, commuters in County Offaly using the Galway-Dublin train on Sunday evenings and Monday mornings pay the full fare but have no chance of seats.
The Minister must allow for the smooth running of CIE by making funds available for badly needed investment. The inability of Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann to cater for consumers is keeping people on the road in cars, because public transport is not a viable alternative. By excluding commuters from the train in Portlaoise, CIE consigns them to cars, which means up to another 200 cars travelling to Dublin every day. CIE has no regard for the provision of a quality service to the consumer.
Again I make the case for Cork. On a number of occasions I have mentioned the need to reopen the rail link from Cork to Midleton and Youghal, which are becoming satellite towns of the city and are growing at a phenomenal rate. The transport deficit into Cork is worrying. The city is being choked; every morning we hear of major tailbacks at Dunkettle and Tivoli, and people in my constituency are suffering greatly as a result. Businesses in the city and in east Cork are also affected. People cannot reach their destinations on time and they spend many hours in cars.
The answer is to reopen the rail link to Midleton. Over 12 months ago I was told, on an Adjournment Debate, that this would cost £8 million. The Minister said at that time that the reopening of the rail link to Cobh in 1996, by the previous Government, was a major success and traffic had increased by 20 per cent in 12 months. I ask the Minister to do something similar for the Midleton-Youghal link. He should make the money available and look to the future. Public transport has been analysed and investigated to death, it is now time for action. We want to see trains on the tracks, particularly on that track.
Cork city is running out of parking space and people do not want to bring their cars into the city but they have no choice. The answer is to open the rail link and I plead with the Minister to make a political decision to do this because that is what it will take. This Government should have the courage of its convictions and take action. It has been in office for two years yet nothing has been done in this area.
Tourism and industry are suffering. Students are suffering also – they cannot make their lectures or examinations on time, they must rise at an ungodly hour to get in before the traffic jams. The problems Dublin is experiencing now are beginning in Cork, so we should act before it is too late. Industries are refusing to locate in Ireland because of our traffic gridlock. This is the Government's fault because it is doing nothing; it is not showing leadership nor is it taking any action. It has been up to the Opposition to show initiative.
All groups in east Cork and the city are asking the Government to take action on the rail link. The UDCs in Youghal and Midleton, the chambers of commerce in Youghal, Midleton, Cobh and Cork city, the county council, and Cork Corporation have all called for action but the Government is deaf. I ask it to listen.
Gabhaim buíochas don Teachta Yates agus don Teachta Mitchell as an t-am a thug siad dom. The Green Party does not share Deputy Hanafin's view that car congestion is a symptom of a successful economy. In essence, cars are glorified wheelchairs – they are a necessity because they provide mobility for those who live too far from their work, schools, their relatives or public transport. If there were huge sales of wheelchairs I do not think Deputy Hanafin would say that was an indication of the success of the economy.
The costs of transport must be taken into account. Some £7,000 million is spent on cars but only £500 million on public transport. There is a great imbalance and everyone talks about the need to redress it. The costs are further added to when one considers that Dublin businesses estimate losses of £1.2 billion as a result of traffic congestion, and that Earthwatch estimates that the resulting noise and air pollution costs £220 million. That does not include the many lives lost and the people who suffer brain damage and other injuries from traffic accidents.
The support received by public transport is often the source of arguments in this House. The chief executive of CIE, in a letter to Members of the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport, wrote:
CIE's subvention in 1987 was £116 million. Ten years later, in 1998, through the course of a number of administrations, it was £107 million. Taking account of inflation it should have been over £150 million.
This is another huge loss of resources but instead of responding to the obvious need, the Government has found ways of putting a good face on matters while CIE's resources have been downgraded.
The ESRI has pointed out the needs in this area and highlighted the absence of a detailed physical plan for urban development, a matter for which the Government has clear responsibility. The ESRI stated that in the future there will be a huge increase in car traffic. That eventuality must be responded to by means of legislation to stem the rise in traffic volumes. The ESRI also highlighted a number of issues which have been debated publicly for a long period. For example, the park and ride capacity is woefully inadequate at many suburban rail stations in north Dublin. The DART could easily be extended to Drogheda because, from an engineering point of view, no major work would be required and there is a major need for access to Dublin Airport and Swords. For a number of years calls have been made to provide these basic services and I ask the Government to respond to people's needs.
Since coming to office less than two years ago, the Government has acted with vision and determination to tackle the transport challenges facing the greater Dublin area. We immediately responded to the short-term action plan prepared by the Dublin Transportation Office by providing over £70 million of investment in buses, suburban rail and cycle facilities, which the office recommended. For the first time the Exchequer has provided direct capital funding for bus and rail investment. Under previous Governments this funding would have had to be met from CIE's resources.
In all, 12 quality bus corridors will be completed by the end of 2000. The Malahide Road and Lucan corridors are already in place and further QBCs, including those to Rathfarnham, Tallaght, and north Finglas, will be completed this year with the remainder being completed next year. The bus fleet is also being increased. Already 32 of the 150 additional buses which have been ordered have been delivered with the remainder being delivered in phases throughout the year.
A major investment programme on DART and suburban rail has already been put in place and is continuing. The Maynooth line is being upgraded, with the provision of double track from Clonsilla to Maynooth. New stations have been provided and work has commenced on the development of Barrow Street station between Pearse Station, and Lansdowne Road station. Twenty six new DART carriages have been ordered and will be used to enhance existing services and to cater for the extended DART network to Malahide and Greystones. The light rail project is proceeding in line with the indicative timetable set out last year. The way is now clear to build the Tallaght line, and approval has been given to order light railway vehicles. The public inquiry on the Sandyford line is nearing completion.
My colleague Deputy Dempsey, Minister for the Environment and Local Government, together with the local and regional authorities in the greater Dublin area, commissioned the preparation of the strategic planning guidelines. These guidelines for the first time provide the land use planning framework for the development of our capital city and the surrounding area.
My Department supported the development of real time passenger information for the suburban rail and bus networks. It is already in use on the DART and is being extended. The system for buses has been in development in Bus Átha Cliath for some time with financial support from the Exchequer. The necessary design work is nearing completion and the system will be put into operation later this year on the Lucan QBC initially.
The public transport requirements of the other major urban areas of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford will also be considered in the preparation of the national development plan. Last month, the Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, announced that the Government had given its approval for costing and feasibility work on a major suburban rail development programme, taking account of the recommendations of the strategic planning guidelines. The Dublin Transportation Office is nearing completion of a comprehensive investment plan for the period 2000 to 2006 which will be considered by the Government when preparing the national development plan.
While a great deal has been achieved in the past few years, much more remains to be done. We are, therefore, continuing to plan for the future. The Government can be relied on to provide a properly planned and co-ordinated response to the transport challenges in our major urban areas. We will set out a clear strategy to address these problems in the forthcoming national development plan when we have received and considered the detailed proposals of agencies such as the DTO. Our record to date shows that we are committed to investment in our transport system.
I wish to share time with Deputies Perry and Yates.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I support the motion tabled by Deputies Yates and Olivia Mitchell. There is no doubt that the motion deals with one of the most serious problems in our country which is causing major concern to people. We must remember that this motion on public transport, transport capacity and traffic flow does not merely apply to our capital city, Dublin, it applies to every city, town and main traffic artery throughout the country.
Due to the lack of investment in infrastructure in recent decades, we have created traffic chaos and commuters are now faced with almost total gridlock. Every day people must endure traffic jams, queues, delays, congestion, overcrowding, waiting and all that goes with an almost unworkable traffic management plan. People are finding it increasingly difficult to travel to their destination by private or public transport. For example, when driving from Dublin to Cashel in my constituency it takes up to 90 minutes to pass through Kildare and Monasterevin, and that does not take account of the time delay in travelling from one's starting point in the city to the N24.
In the past, delays were confined to peak traffic times but now they occur all day, every day. Let us now consider the case of a person taking public transport and using Iarnród Éireann. For my example I choose last Friday evening, the beginning of the bank holiday weekend, when one would have expected Iarnród Éireann to have made the necessary arrangements to cater for the increase in the numbers using its services. However, on the Dublin to Cork train last Friday evening, I witnessed serious overcrowding and I believe that the basic ground rules governing safety were ignored by Iarnród Éireann. All corridors and entrances were packed with passengers and luggage. It was impossible to move from one carriage to the next and one thing was certain, in the event of an emergency there would have been no escape.
Is this acceptable? People who paid for a seat on the train were obliged to stand. Does anyone care anymore? Those who were fortunate to obtain a seat had been obliged to stand in a queue for 90 minutes before the train departed. Where are the facilities for the disabled, the sick and those who are not able to try to secure a seat? Many of the passengers dreaded the thoughts of returning to Dublin on Monday because they knew they would be obliged to stand for the entire journey.
On wet days, passengers have no option but to stand in the rain outside Heuston Station waiting to be catered for by an appalling taxi service. Again, there are no facilities for those unable to gain access to taxis. In my opinion, the taxi business is the most protected monopoly in town. From recent experience I believe that taxi companies do not always log one's booking because business is too good. People are left waiting in the hope that a taxi will eventually arrive. The excuses never change, it is always a busy period, the weather is causing additional demands or the service is slow due to traffic congestion.
We must accept the one major problem in terms of taxis and hackneys, namely, that there are insufficient numbers of both on our roads. Someone must take the initiative and confront the inadequate taxi service available to commuters. However, no one seems to consider the rights of commuters; there seems to be a need to protect vested interests.
In my constituency, Clonmel – one of the most thriving towns in the country – might as well be an island in terms of traffic and travel facilities. The railway station is almost derelict and I cannot understand why it is not dealt with under the Derelict Sites Act. One passenger train passes through the station each day and it is impossible to travel by rail from Clonmel to Dublin. We need a modern railway station and a feeder service to Limerick Junction.
The proposals in the motion before the House will help to alleviate some of the congestion on our streets and roads and some of the frustration felt by commuters. I congratulate Deputies Yates and Mitchell on bringing forward realistic, logical and implementable proposals. I urge the Government to support the motion.
I compliment Deputies Yates and Mitchell on bringing forward this very important motion. Ireland continues to have a substantial infrastructural deficit compared to the most developed member states of the European Union, despite the rapid convergence of average income levels as a result of rapid economic growth. There has also been rapid growth in transport, the built environment and energy needs. Fine Gael has proposed a major overhaul of public transport with the establishment of an independent authority along the lines of the Independent Radio and Television Commission to regulate a new competitive regime for road passenger movement. That is urgently required.
Deputy Yates has called for the updating of the Road Transport Act, 1932. There is concern about the isolation suffered by many people who do not have access to a car, particularly those living in rural areas. The allocation of £100 million over five years to develop public transport should be shared between CIE and licensed private bus operators. Competition rather than privatisation is important. Being in business, I appreciate that competition is the life of trade. Introducing competition into this sector would be the best way to reform CIE. Public transport is a large business. Having regard to the number of cars on our roads, if groups had to competitively fight for business, the sector would be much more efficient and stronger.
In regard to Sligo, while I welcome the major Curlew bypass and the Collooney bypass, the issue of an inner relief road has been one of major concern to people in Sligo town for the past 20 years. Sligo is heavily congested. The volume of traffic reaches nightmare levels on weekdays and weekends between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Decisiveness by the National Road Authority to address this problem is urgently required.
I was concerned by a recent comment made by Mr. Flynn, an engineer with the National Road Authority. He said that public transport was not a viable alternative in the Sligo context. That is an incredible statement, but he conceded that a weakness of the NRA is that its responsibility extends only to roads and public transport is a matter for someone else. Greater co-ordination is required. There should be an established link between the National Roads Authority and CIE. The amount of congestion in Sligo town is unbelievable and it is incredible that it was stated that public transport is not a viable alternative in that context. Our party leader indicated the necessity for a proper public transport service in rural areas, between villages and towns.
Traffic congestion curbs economic growth. Having regard to our skills shortage, traffic congestion had begun to create significant difficulties in marketing Ireland to investors. Investors who have seen the chaos in Sligo town have decided not to invest there because of various problems, including the basic problem of people finding it difficult to get to work on time. Potential employers are factoring in traffic difficulties when making a decision on job offers. Deputy Flanagan stated that it took him from 8.10 a.m. to 11.35 a.m. to get to Leinster House. That establishes my point.
Greater co-ordination is needed between the National Roads Authority and CIE in terms of investment plans. I welcome the major investment on the Sligo-Dublin rail line. The most important and startling fact in that context is that according to Iarnód Éireann approximately 500,000 passengers travel on the Sligo-Dublin line every year. Since 1990 passenger numbers have increased by 33 per cent. If those new customers were lost to the railway, that would be an additional 54,000 car movements in and out of Dublin. Such investment is urgently required on that line. Rail travel is a luxurious way to travel. CIE might examine investing more frequently in light rail carriages than in large rail carriages that are mainly used. I welcome the announcement of investment in the service from Longford to Carrick-on-Shannon and the commitment to a service from Carrick-on-Shannon to Sligo. This service was never more urgently required.
I thank all the Deputies who spoke on this debate, especially those who supported the motion. I thank the Labour Party and the Green Party for their support. First, I must respond to the Minister's amendment and her response to the motion. The Minister does not understand the feeling of road rage. We heard Members' personal anecdotes. I had a meeting at 10 a.m. with a person who was coming into Dublin Airport. He rang me at 10.20 to say he had left Dublin Airport at 8.30 a.m. and he would not be able to get here on time. That is only one of many anecdotes we have heard in this debate alone.
The Minister does not seem to understand that people are getting so irate with the grinding halt of Dublin traffic gridlock. Her amendment is utterly smug and complacent to the point of being indifferent to the problem. New words have entered the lexicon, namely, "decommitting" Luas. "Abort" is the word I would use. The £221 million provided by the previous Government, including European funds, has been spent over and over again. This is the first time we have an Exchequer surplus, but the same amount of money will be spent on a few extra rail cars and buses. That is the money of which the Minister has made such play.
There has not been any new initiative, except the Atkins report and the Andersen report of a study into Luas and a decision to put it back until 2005 and beyond the time of the next general election, no matter how short or long a period that may be. The Government has made no impact on addressing the problem of traffic gridlock. The economic barrier to the development of this and other major cities because of traffic gridlock and the sheer erosion of the quality and efficiency of lifestyles in Dublin because of traffic gridlock is appalling.
We have the nearest thing I have ever seen to Euro Disney in Ireland in proposals, which some people have taken seriously. The Minister said that the strategic planning guidelines include a number of suggestions for improving the suburban rail network in the longer term. She said that while these are only at a conceptual basis and require detailed and technical economic feasibility work, they point the way forward. Her spin people announced a new inland rail link to Navan. The people of Navan are expecting this. They have announced a new rail link via the Belfast line to Swords and Dublin Airport, quadrupling the existing Dublin lines where reasonable. When I asked CIE when these would be put in place, I was told they would not happen within a decade. I was told there is no money and no design. Some of these proposals are the result of a school project. CIE was asked for information. A student from Dunleer wrote to CIE for information about 2020 thinking on public transport in Dublin. The Minister then asked if there were any new ideas and this was put into a Euro Disney-like proposal. It is not a reality. The Minister flaps and waffles as if she is doing something about this.
This motion sets out something that is possible to achieve. We need to spend about £4 billion on public transport to bring it up to modern European standards. A total of £140 million can be spent now. Eleven quality bus corridors could be put in place and an additional 250 new buses articulated in double deckers could be provided. A real time information service could be provided by a speaker, similar to that on the DART, which would state that a bus will arrive in a few minutes. A satellite controlled vehicle tracking system could be provided.
The flow of traffic in Dublin and other cities, including Cork, Limerick and Waterford, could be improved by the provision of a second helicopter to have a proper operation freeflow all year around. We have costed all these measures, the price of buses, real time information and all the nuts and bolts, and put this forward in a very practical proposal. The money is there. We have never had an Exchequer surplus of £1 billion. There could be an Exchequer surplus of £2 billion depending on whether the Government sells 20 per cent or 35 per cent of Telecom Éireann. However, this issue is a matter of political indifference. This will be a key issue in the European and local elections. We will bring this issue to the doorsteps because the Government, particularly the Minister, Deputy O'Rourke, does not know or care about this issue.
Amendment put.
Tá
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Ahern, Dermot.Ahern, Michael.Ahern, Noel.Ardagh, Seán.Aylward, Liam.Blaney, Harry.Brady, Johnny.Brady, Martin.Brennan, Matt.Brennan, Séamus.Briscoe, Ben.Browne, John (Wexford).Byrne, Hugh.Callely, Ivor.Carey, Pat.Collins, Michael.Cooper-Flynn, Beverley.Coughlan, Mary.Cowen, Brian.Davern, Noel.de Valera, Síle.Dennehy, John.Doherty, Seán.Ellis, John.Fahey, Frank.Fleming, Seán.Flood, Chris.Foley, Denis.Fox, Mildred.Gildea, Thomas.Hanafin, Mary.Harney, Mary. Haughey, Seán. |
Tá–continued
|
Jacob, Joe.Keaveney, Cecilia.Kelleher, Billy.Kenneally, Brendan.Killeen, Tony.Kirk, Séamus.Kitt, Michael.Lawlor, Liam.Lenihan, Brian.Lenihan, Conor.McCreevy, Charlie.McDaid, James.McGuinness, John.Martin, Micheál.Moffatt, Thomas.Molloy, Robert.Moloney, John.Moynihan, Donal.Moynihan, Michael. |
Ó Cuív, Éamon.O'Dea, Willie.O'Flynn, Noel.O'Hanlon, Rory.O'Keeffe, Batt.O'Kennedy, Michael.O'Malley, Desmond.Power, Seán.Reynolds, Albert.Roche, Dick.Ryan, Eoin.Smith, Brendan.Smith, Michael.Treacy, Noel.Wade, Eddie.Wallace, Dan.Walsh, Joe.Woods, Michael.Wright, G. V. |
Níl
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Ahearn, Theresa.Allen, Bernard.Barnes, Monica.Barrett, Seán.Bell, Michael.Belton, Louis.Bradford, Paul.Broughan, Thomas.Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).Bruton, Richard.Burke, Ulick.Carey, Donal.Clune, Deirdre.Connaughton, Paul.Cosgrave, Michael.Coveney, Simon.Crawford, Seymour.Creed, Michael.D'Arcy, Michael.Deasy, Austin.Deenihan, Jimmy.Durkan, Bernard.Farrelly, John.Ferris, Michael.Finucane, Michael.Fitzgerald, Frances.Flanagan, Charles.Gilmore, Éamon.Gormley, John.Higgins, Jim. |
Higgins, Michael.Howlin, Brendan.Kenny, Enda.McCormack, Pádraic.McDowell, Derek.McGahon, Brendan.McGinley, Dinny.McGrath, Paul.McManus, Liz.Mitchell, Gay.Mitchell, Jim.Mitchell, Olivia.Moynihan-Cronin, Breeda.Neville, Dan.Noonan, Michael.O'Keeffe, Jim.O'Shea, Brian.O'Sullivan, Jan.Owen, Nora.Penrose, William.Perry, John.Rabbitte, Pat.Ryan, Seán.Sargent, Trevor.Shatter, Alan.Sheehan, Patrick.Shortall, Róisín.Stagg, Emmet.Stanton, David.Timmins, Billy.Yates, Ivan. |
Tellers: Tá, Deputies S. Brennan and Power; Níl, Deputies Barrett and Stagg.
Amendment declared carried.
Motion, as amended, put and declared carried.