Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a few brief questions. Further to the point made by Deputy Troy about taking parking off streets and freeing up the space for traffic, has underground parking been considered as an option? I realise there is expense involved, as well as engineering challenges. However, there is also massive potential to generate revenue. Is it a viable option? Perhaps it would be easier to go underneath civic spaces or greenfield areas without causing structural difficulties above the surface. Has that been considered?

In the context of cycling, the space at the sides of canals or of some of the approach roads and even central reservation areas which have barriers seem to present an opportunity for cycling infrastructure. Has an audit been carried out of the viability of such infrastructure being put in place? Along those lines, the growth in passenger numbers on the Luas over the past ten years or so has been very impressive. Is there a way whereby somebody could get on the Luas in Tallaght with their bicycle, hop off at their stop and be able to cycle on to their destination? Could there be dedicated carriages for people with bicycles? Could consideration be given to whether that can be done, even if it is only at peak times?

I am thinking outside the box but some ideas might go nowhere while some might have merit. Thankfully, I am only in this city three days per week. I see the congestion. It is not a problem in rural south Kerry, so there is plenty of time to think about these matters when one is not in Dublin. The bikes scheme has worked very well and other cities around the country are seeking to roll it out. From the AA's point of view, although it is relevant for everyone, could something similar work with cars? Often people might make two journeys by private car even though, realistically, they could do one by car and the other by public transport. Could something like that help as part of the overall solution with regard to the commuter belt, in particular, and getting people to public transport hubs? There was investment in space for park and ride and where that is available it is used. Is there a specific funding stream from the Government for that or is it something that must come out of the overall budgets for various agencies? The witnesses might elaborate on that and I ask them to respond to the questions in the order in which they made their presentations.