Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am a Deputy for that area and I am sure Deputy McGuinness will support me because he will have to use that crossing. I welcome the NRA's decision to proceed rapidly with that project, but what concerns me is the question of the democratic input. A unanimous decision was made by South Dublin County Council, which was supported by both elected councillors and officials, some years ago that the main dual carriageway would be taken under the subsidiary road from Clondalkin to Tallaght. That has been over-ruled. My problem with the NRA is that it is not sufficiently responsive to democracy. I appreciate and understand the argument that sometimes local interests could be too dominant but at the same time there is a need to be responsive to the local interest because the people who live very close to it will be severely impacted by the road. To what extent is the NRA responsive to local pressure, some of which is reasonable but sometimes it may be unreasonable?