John Bruton
Ceist:1 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the plans the Government has to review the document, An Action Programme for the Millennium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19167/00]
Ceisteanna–Questions. - Programme for Government.
John Bruton
Ceist:2 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the progress report, published in July 2000, at the end of year three of An Action Programme for the Millennium. [19209/00]
John Bruton
Ceist:3 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the number of copies distributed by his Department of the progress report at the end of year three of An Action Programme for the Millennium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19210/00]
John Bruton
Ceist:4 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the plans the Government has to review An Action Programme for the Millennium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19211/00]
Joe Higgins
Ceist:5 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Taoiseach the plans the Government has to review An Action Programme for the Millennium. [21136/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together.
Deputy Bruton will be aware that the Government completed a mid-term review of the Action Programme for the Millennium and that we have also just completed and published a progress report on the completion of our third year in Government. Progress on the Action Programme for the Millennium is kept constantly under review and I would propose to publish another progress report in June next year. A total of 3,000 copies of the progress report were printed and distributed. The document was issued to the media, Government Departments, Deputies and members of the public on request.
Does the Taoiseach agree that the Government's record, particularly in terms of the commitments in An Action Programme for the Millennium in regard to transport, has been inadequate? Is he aware that the annual cost of traffic gridlock in Dublin amounts to £2 billion, that the Government has published five different blueprints for resolving this problem, none of which has been implemented, and that 12 months ago the Government promised to double the number of taxi plates but that not a single additional plate has yet been issued? Is he also aware that the Government promised to have in place 11 quality bus corridors by 1999 and that, to date, only three have been delivered? Does the Taoiseach realise that there is a significant and troubling gap between rhetoric as far as the Government's record on transport is concerned?
In the national development plan, approximately £2.2 billion has been set aside for transport initiatives. Progress has been made in respect of a range of those initiatives, some of which were delayed inordinately and others, such as the airport bypass, in respect of which no action was taken during the lifetime of the previous Government because of a failure to sign the public orders. When we entered Government we were faced with the necessity of concluding consultations on the port relief tunnel, construction of which, thankfully, is about to begin, and ensuring completion of the M50 south-eastern motorway – it is proposed that the port tunnel will be linked to this motorway via the east coast route. Progress has been made in respect of these issues.
We have put in place a number of important initiatives to improve the bus transport system in the greater Dublin area. A total of 150 new buses were delivered last year and in recent weeks over 200 were delivered for 2000. A further three quality bus corridors have been opened which brings the total in operation to six.
We have also put in place an entire range of other initiatives. The issue of suburban rail development is being addressed in two distinct parts, namely, the short-term strategy and the long-term development programme. Progress has also been made in terms of the suburban rail strategic review. The DTO only completed its overall report in September and the National Roads Authority, with its increased resources, has produced an updated report.
We are finally beginning to address the deficiencies of the past. Of course, everything that is wrong will not be put to rights but there is a blueprint in place for the years ahead. I am sure Deputy Bruton has seen the enormous amount of work proceeding on roads, etc., throughout the country. Unfortunately, Dublin was left behind for some years because in some instances there was a lack of resources while in others objections were made to particular developments. However, genuine improvements are now being made and these will continue in the future.
Is the Taoiseach aware that if the Luas proposals as prepared by the Rainbow Government had proceeded as planned, that system of transport would be in operation today? Is he further aware that a plan for a light rail system similar to that put forward by the Rainbow Government was announced in Montpelier in France and that that system is already functioning? Does the Taoiseach not agree that people who commute to and from Dublin are paying a very high price for the indecision, procrastination and political posturing of the Minister for Public Enterprise and her colleagues?
I am not sure how Deputy Bruton can make such a contention. When we entered Government in 1997, I do not remember seeing any completed light rail orders in respect of the Luas line. Work had not even commenced on those lines and it would have taken 18 months to get the project up and running. Therefore, the earliest that anything could have happened would have been in 1999. As it stands, work has commenced this year.
Traffic in Dublin is extremely heavy and there have been enormous increases in volume. Thankfully, however, the Minister for Public Enterprise has got on with a range of initiatives and substantial progress has been made.
She has certainly "got on".
The same applies to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government. Deputy Bruton is correct that if the Minister responsible for the airport bypass had dealt with the file rather than leaving it sitting around for over 12 months, that road would have been finished. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
(Dublin West): What are the Government's plans to review the proposals on educational disadvantage contained in An Action Programme for the Millennium? Would the Taoiseach agree that the commitment in the programme sits ill with the High Court judgment in the case of Jamie Sinnott where a substantial award was made against the State for being negligent in the provision of educational support for a child suffering from autism.
With regard to the commitment to the delivery of a new targeted support package to disadvantaged primary pupils from September 2000, how does this tally with the situation in probably every constituency where there are children in schools suffering from ADHD, attention deficit syndrome, who cannot attend a full day in school because the required number of special needs assistants are not deployed? Would the Taoiseach agree that ADHD and other disabilities constitute educational disadvantage if the supports are not there? What specific measures will be put in place to address this?
Educational disadvantage has been substantially addressed through enormous and substantive resources to reduce the pupil teacher ratio in schools. However, individual questions should be submitted to the Minster for Education and Science. The case mentioned by the Deputy has been before the courts for six years. It is one of many very sad cases. I readily admit that we need to give more specialised care in many areas.
The way we deal with people with disabilities and various forms of disadvantage in our education system is very different even from a decade ago. This subject was raised last Thursday on the Order of Business and the Minister for Education and Science will deal with questions on it later today.
Arising from the Taoiseach's reply to Deputy John Bruton in relation to infrastructure, does he agree that whereas in the past the constraints under which we all had to work were primarily financial, there are now constraints in our domestic procedures which need to be reformed? What action does the Government intend to take when it receives the reserved judgment of the court case in relation to Dublin taxi licences on Friday? Can he consult the Attorney General to ensure there will no longer be a legal obstruction to the implementation of the Government decision, or take steps in consultation with the administration of the courts to ensure that, irrespective of the outcome of any court deliberation, the matter will not take its place in some long queue like abandoned passengers in the middle of Dublin city at three o'clock in the morning? Can we not fast track the deliberation of justice to the point where an effective decision is given and the necessary taxis are on the streets?
I am aware that the Taoiseach is probably being advised that such a reserved judgment is due. Can he indicate what decisive action he intends to take to avoid the tragedies we have seen and the great hardship people must undergo in Dublin city?
I share Deputy Quinn's views on this matter. I hope we get a clear judgment on Friday so that we can move on.
It will be appealed.
It will be a matter for the courts if the judgment is appealed. I do not see how we can get around that. The judgment will be examined on Friday.
Our estimation is that a doubling of the number of taxis would do an enormous amount to alleviate the obvious difficulties throughout the week for visitors and for the Dublin public. We were originally told this case would take six months to go through the courts, in which case it would have been settled early in the summer. If the judgment does not provide the answer we will have to look at other contingencies. We must wait for the judgment.
Does the Taoiseach accept that the projects he outlined today, prioritising road projects as he did in the first part of his answer, will take the lion's share of the transport provisions in An Action Programme for the Millennium? Given that taxis, buses and even the most basic cycling and pedestrian requirements are not being provided, the plan needs to undergo a reality check. He must recognise that this is a very wet country.
The Deputy is making a statement. Will he please ask a question.
Does the Taoiseach recognise that the projects outlined in the action programme do not reflect the priority transport needs of this city which are that people be encouraged to use modes of transport other than the private car? Will he ensure that such projects are fast tracked and not held up as is currently the case?
Yes. The current plan of the Dublin Transportation Authority is to prioritise buses, trains, Luas and DART in its early years. Our policy on taxis, bus lanes and cycle corridors is already clear. All reports on Dublin transport in the past decade – and it applies equally throughout the country – show that the problem will not be solved simply by building more road infrastructure in cities because this simply leads to an increase in the number of cars on the road. The public transport aspect must be addressed.
Very few cities have solved the public transport problem. We frequently cite cities which have done so but I have visited a few recently and found them appalling. Public transport must be given due regard.
One indicator of the success or otherwise of his policies is the commuting time from a town like Portlaoise which has increased substantially from approximately one and a half hours when the Taoiseach came to power to more than two hours today. This is indicative of very little co-ordination of Government policy. Matters are not proceeding in a manner which will give rise to public confidence.
Is the Taoiseach aware that in a rural constituency like Laois-Offaly there has been an annual decrease of 10% in the number of people holding medical cards? Hundreds of medical cards have been withdrawn since June 1997.
Detailed questions on policy are more appropriately put to another Minister. I encourage the Deputy to avoid matters of such detail.
In the context of An Action Plan for the Millennium, does the Taoiseach accept that this is at total variance with the concept of a caring Government?
The Deputy is aware that there are now approximately 1.6 million cars on the roads. It is for that reason that the main national corridors are now being developed and fast tracked. We now have the resources to do that.
Does the Taoiseach agree that it is not possible to have a national infrastructural plan in the absence of two essential requirements which the Government has not yet provided – a national greenhouse gas abatement strategy without which the viability of investments cannot be assessed and a national spatial development strategy to say where things should go and where we want people to live. Does the Taoiseach not agree that the absence of a greenhouse gas abatement strategy and a spatial development plan for the country make their plan for the millennium, or any millennium, unviable because it lacks the essential detail?
The greenhouse gases abatement strategy will be published in the month of November. On the spatial survey, all of the reports which the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, outlined in the House, are now available. It was a fact that, over the years, and certainly until I started co-ordinating the infrastructural committee, the NRA, CIE, Dublin Bus, the light rail project and bodies involved in the issues such as the taxi service and the DTO policies generally were not working as one unit. It never happened. It did not happen when I was a member of Dublin Corporation or down the years. It is happening now for the first time. These bodies work together on their plan and it is a co-ordinated plan.
The video record of the proceedings of this House will show that the Taoiseach inadvertently referred to the Dublin Transportation Authority. He meant to say the Dublin Transportation—
—Office.
—Office. However, his Freudian slip is prophetic because the same authority was axed in 1987—
Questions, please.
—when we were being exorted by the squire of Kinsealy to tighten our belts. Do I detect from the Freudian slip from the Taoiseach that he supports the view recently put forward by Mr. John Fitzgerald, the city manager for Dublin, that in the context of Dublin, an overall authority is needed that would have responsibility both for transport and planning? Since the Taoiseach is sitting adjacent to the present Minister for the Environment and Local Government he might indicate whether the document that was recently launched by the Government on transportation in the Dublin region would be backed up with the necessary legislative authority to make it happen.
That is part of the discussion. However, the Office of the DTO has moved a long way towards making it easier to achieve co-ordination of the various elements of transport. They are genuinely trying to do that.
So Deputy Howlin was right to establish it.
I would not say yes. We have moved very quickly with it and the recent plan. We moved on it within a week of its presentation because they had given briefings throughout to the infrastructural committee. We need to continue to do this. I would not say for a minute that we will resolve these matters in a year or two. Frankly, I think it will take about a decade but if successive Governments continue with the kind of blueprints that are there now, we will get there. The reality is that, in Dublin anyway, most of the CPO road planning areas of the 50s had not started until the 90s. That is the hard reality. Issues that were documented in the war years were not looked at for about 30 years because of lack of resources. Those are the kind of issues that are now being dealt with, thankfully. Given the road plans that were there, at least we have the land where we can move on these issues in a large part of the city and county area.
(Dublin West): How does the Government intend to review the implementation of the commitments made for accommodating travelling people in the Action Programme of the Millennium? Whereas the progress report said that all local authorities have now adopted—
The Chair has pointed out that matters of detailed question should be addressed to the appropriate Minister. It would not be possible to have supplementary questions on all aspects of policy on these particular questions. It is a very broad question.
(Dublin West): It is a more general question on accommodation and this is one particularly important aspect. The point is that it is all right to say a review of the programme by the Government is ongoing but we need to know. I ask the Taoiseach what measures will be taken to ensure those local authorities implement the programmes they have drawn up and that they do so rapidly. I ask the same question with regard to the homelessness. Does the Taoiseach accept that the commitments made here will come to naught unless the forums promised by local authorities and health boards are set up and very quickly address the problem of the unfortunate and visible increase of homeless people, including many young people, on the streets of cities and towns?
Does the Taoiseach agree that the commitment given for the development of private residential accommodation and that the review of that com mitment which has been promised must involve the Government quickly producing legislation providing for security of tenure for people in rented accommodation, a ban on the exorbitant and exploitative rents that landlords are currently charging and also—
The Deputy should not continue. The Deputy's questions now are more appropriate to individual Ministers.
(Dublin West):—a programme for purpose built accommodation for students in all third level colleges which would free up thousands of private rented units for other people?
The Traveller Accommodation Bill has been passed by this Government. The local authorities now have the plans in place to make progress. Constant monitoring is in place to ensure that the programme is implemented. That is the way it operates. On the issue of homelessness, the strategy and the resources have been given to the local authorities and many of them have moved on it already. On the matter being raised constantly in this House about how to resource the housing fund that helps the St. Pancras Housing Association and all the other housing agencies, it is working very well countrywide. Perhaps there is never enough accommodation but it is working. The resources have been given. On the matter of student accommodation, significant tax concessions have been given which have greatly expanded the number of student accommodations all over the third level sector.
(Dublin West): The State should build student accommodation for every third level college. Does the Taoiseach not agree?
If the private sector can find a meaningful way of doing it, I do not see what is wrong with that. They have done it very quickly, far quicker than the State would have done it.
In 1997 the journey from Cork to Dublin took three hours, now, four years later, it takes four hours. In view of the congestion on the roads, is the Taoiseach still standing by his timescale of completing the building of motorways leading out of Dublin in 2006? How will he deal with the shortage of engineers, planners and contractors? Is he now reviewing the timescale for the construction of the motorways which are so badly needed or is it just pie in the sky?
From almost standstill a few years ago the NRA has now moved well ahead in its plans for all these roadways. As the Deputy knows, the main parts that affect him, leading to Mitchelstown, Fermoy and Port laoise, are completed and the Kildare town motorway is started.
(Interruptions).
The Taoiseach.
They are all moving ahead. It will make life a little easier for the Deputy, I hope.
(Interruptions).
We cannot have detailed questions
Is the Taoiseach standing by his six year timeframe? It is a simple question, yes or no.
(Interruptions).
The reason the five national roads were singled out and prioritised was that we could move ahead and get them completed once and for all because we have been discussing them for about 40 years. The NRA is ahead in its plans on all five as I understand it.
I have not seen a sod turned yet.
The NRA programme which was announced about two weeks ago sets it all out for the Deputy.
The Taoiseach is in fantasy land.
(Interruptions).
Does the Taoiseach now stand by the Government's target to have a 20% reduction in road deaths by the year 2002 in light of the fact that currently 33 people are being killed every month on our roads? Does he not agree that, because the Department had to research last year's targets again this year, that there is a delay in the penalty points system, the setting up of a register for driving instructors and the theory test, this target will now not be met?
The target for the first two years was 12.5% below the 1998 figure which was the benchmark figure and as I have answered on the Order of Business, the legislation regarding the points system is to be introduced this session.
On the co-ordination of the major infrastructural development coming into Dublin, does the Taoiseach accept now – I think he is beginning to acknowledge it – that the deficiency relates to a driving authority rather than a number of exhortation authorities such as the Dublin Transportation Office and a number of Departments which do not have an executive function in it? Would he accept that until there is one authority to oversee and drive and demand results, we will not have that vast infrastructure in place within the timeframe set out.
Whether it would be one auth ority or the agencies working together, which they did not do—
We tried to get the agencies to work together for the past six years.
We did not.
That is why we have CAB.
We did not have them working together, but the Cabinet subcommittee on infrastructure is now co-ordinating with the agencies and they are responding. They did not have the resources before, but they are pressing ahead. If one considers what has happened in the past few years in comparison to the previous decade, one can see how it happened.
Does the Taoiseach accept that what he said in relation to co-ordination has not happened to date, that parts have advanced well and others have not advanced at all? Until there is one authority driving the entire programme at the same speed, there will be a mismatch of facilities arriving at different speeds, not facilitating the people of Dublin.
What has happened to the decentralisation programme? Much expectation was built up around the country that various towns would be given either an outreach section from the Department of Education and Science or a decentralised office. The Tánaiste says this is gombeen man politics.
The Deputy should not continue with a statement during Question Time.
Is it the policy of the Government to continue decentralisation and when will we see the practical consequences of it?
Everything could not move together even if one had the best co-ordination agency in the world, and I think that will never happen. If the priorities are taken, as the agencies are trying to do, and they are moved forward, we will succeed once they have the resources.
Decentralisation is a matter for the Minister for Finance, but consultation with the staff members who would be involved in any move is under way.
Is the Taoiseach aware that many business people involved in various aspects of construction projects under the national plan feel the Government has become very good at explaining in patient detail why things cannot be done, why they are falling behind schedule and why there are procedures which are holding things up more than was expected, and that these business people are becoming extremely impatient with the fact that the Government does not seem to be in charge, that implementation of the national plan has become a prisoner of its own procedures rather than a case of the Government governing?
That is certainly not the view that was given to the Government at a recent meeting with the CIF which represented all the managing directors and senior officers of all the major construction firms in the country.
They are the very people who would say they have the capacity, when it is evident that the capacity does not exist. If the Taoiseach is depending on the CIF, many of whom are well known—
In answer to the question asked by Deputy Bruton, I stated that there had been business—
Yes, but the Taoiseach referred to only one sector, the CIF, which is a sectional interest and which has a vested interest in telling the NRA and everybody else, including the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, that it has the capacity to deliver on the national plan. Does the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Environment and Local Government not accept, just as we had to listen to lies from the Minister of State, Deputy Cullen, in relation to the completion of the new Leinster House complex—
The Deputy should not use the word "lies".
The building is five weeks behind in terms of completion. They were mistruths, factual inaccuracies. The Minister of State was on radio at 1 o'clock telling Deputy Stagg that the building was up and running while his own staff were being ordered out of it by the Health and Safety Authority. If the Taoiseach is getting information from the same sources—
The Deputy should confine himself to questions.
Will the Taoiseach recognise that we are not eejits on this side of the House, that we are getting factual information, briefings and reports against our own experience and that we are simply asking him to re-check the assertions given to him in the light of measured responses from responsible politicians on all sides of the House?
I asked about decentralisation.
In relation to decentralisation, I said that consultation between the individual unions and the Minister for Finance is ongoing.
In reply to Deputy Quinn, the facts I am quoting are the facts of the NRA who are pressing on with these major projects. As the Deputy is aware, the CIF, or at least some of its members, would argue that we should stretch out some of the contracts, which is not a position accepted by the Government. The capacity of the industry to do most of the work according to CIF or the NRA on the main routes which have been prioritised is not in doubt. That it their position as of a week ago.
I am sure Deputy Bruton will be interested in my question. Is the Taoiseach aware that two weeks ago the NRA advised the Committee of Public Accounts that Meath County Council had decided to change the building line from 30 metres to 91 metres each side of the motorway, that that is a very serious loss of revenue, that the IDA had bought land to create an industrial park on the periphery of Drogheda, that the ball game has now changed, that Meath County Council advised the Minister, who rightly advised me following my letter to him, and that the NRA has said it has nothing to do with them, that it is a case of Meath County Council acting on behalf of Louth County Council and Drogheda Corporation? Is this national policy? It will cost millions of pounds. A building line of 91 metres on each side of the motorway will result in a loss of millions of pounds and thousands of acres of land. I have tabled a question on this matter to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government.
This is Question Time for the Taoiseach and not the Minister for the Environment and Local Government.
The Taoiseach is not proud of progress.