Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It really seems straight out of Kafka. At the same time, we are talking about getting more people to use public transport. That is a comment.

My specific question relates to Fáilte Ireland, which does great work. I do not mean to be parochial when I mention a premises in Galway that has been empty for a long time. The building in question is in a prime spot in Salthill. The loss of revenue associated with the non-use of this premises is probably an expense. I do not know. Does Mr. Doyle know whether Fáilte Ireland or any of the other agencies under the remit of the Department have similar buildings that are empty?

I also have a general question. I got a bit carried away when I asked at length about the wonderful smarter travel document, which covers the period from 2009 to 2020. One of the 41 actions that are to be carried out under the document involves the introduction of a sustainable plan. When I asked yesterday about what has happened to the sustainable plan, I was told it was decided not to go ahead with it. Was the smarter travel document reviewed? How many of the actions were implemented? When did the review take place? What did we learn from it about where we are going? Everyone here believes in public transport. We know we have to do something about climate change. Was this wonderful document implemented? If not, why not? Was it reviewed? If not, why not? What have we learned from it? As I said earlier, the most recent estimate of the cost of a 16.5 km road that is planned in Galway was €500 million, or over €30 million per kilometre. It seems that the estimated price of the road has now increased to €600 million and nothing has yet been done. How can such a price be justified? I remind the committee that the road will affect two thirds of an 18 ha parcel of residential zoned land that was bought by the city council at a time when prices were at their prime. One part of this parcel will be the subject of a future meeting of this committee. The development of two thirds of an 18 ha parcel of land has been frozen because of a proposed ring road that is contrary to every one of the policies on my table, which themselves represent a small proportion of our policies on sustainable transport. I ask Mr. Doyle to respond to my comment, my specific question and my general question about the need for sense to prevail in Galway.