Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. It is a case of new horses for new courses. I am concerned that the Minister is following the previous Government's outline regarding infrastructure development into the future. Regional roads have been mentioned. We all know there is a big problem. I must bring to the Minister's attention the fact that more and more people are travelling long distances from rural areas to work. This is why it is important that we provide more money for the upgrading and maintenance of these roads. In saying that, I compliment our local authorities on the work they carry out but they have limited resources. Perhaps the embargo on the employment of personnel could be reviewed in the case of some local authorities because it is no good having materials if we do not have manpower to do the work.

In respect of major infrastructure, much has been said about Dublin. The western corridor must be fast-tracked. It is fine saying that we have the Wild Atlantic Way when the weather is good and tourists visit but we must look after commerce and the economic growth of the western corridor. This concerns the N20 upgrade from Cork to Dublin, and even to Mayo and Donegal for that matter. We are not asking for a full roll-out of the motorway. I am sure it can built like Legoland, that is, some of the major town bypass sections can be constructed. Public private partnerships, PPPs, are in place. Major work was done on the development of that motorway in respect of coming to the stage of compulsory purchase orders, CPOs. Will all that be lost and will the Exchequer incur an additional cost when we get it up and running again? We speak as politicians. We said earlier that when we meet IBEC and the SMEs, we think they are talking about jobs. The first item on their agenda is the infrastructure relating to our rural towns and major cities outside Dublin. I include fast-tracking road access to the Jack Lynch Tunnel in this.

Much mention was made of the RSA. This is about going forward but, in its current format, is the RSA functioning properly and within its statutory remit? I am led to believe that sometimes a quorum on the board has not been achieved so how can the board perform properly if it is still operating under the terms of its establishment?

A previous speaker mentioned the local improvement schemes. We know they have not been scrapped as such but the Department more or less told local authorities that it was up to them to provide funding for local improvement schemes. This is not working because it is pitching one local authority member against another in determining how the funding is divided. The Department should create a separate funding mechanism for local improvement schemes because many of the roads in question have three or four people living on them who might not have clout in the electoral area but whose well-being we should look after. Could the Minister release the Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, report in respect of the tonne restriction on five-axle vehicles so that we might have a further review of this derogation?