Feargal Quinn (Independent)

The other day a visitor expressed frustration and disbelief to me, having discovered on a drive along the M50 and Red Cow roundabout last Saturday that no work takes place on the route at weekends. I gather that, as a result, the construction job will take three to four years instead of 12 to 18 months. I raise this matter to highlight the short-sighted view of the impact on cost competitiveness of legislation that enabled the planning authorities to stipulate that no work should take place on these vital works on Saturdays and Sundays and after 6 p.m. on week days. I understand how someone in the neighbourhood might say he or she wants peace and quiet and not to be disturbed at night, but we must take a different attitude to the cost to the nation of such steps. An American told me recently that when he was told by his lawyers that he could not do something because the law did not allow it, he said they should change the law. Ireland has a different attitude to costs than it should have. If it took us one year rather than two or three years to do something, admittedly at a higher cost, the benefit to the nation would be different.

Will the Leader arrange for the Minister responsible for this area to attend the House? I am not sure which Minister is responsible because it is a mixture of planning and good management of the road system. If there is a decision on costs, he or she should ensure we take into account the overall cost to the economy instead of the short-sighted view of what might happen in the area in question.