John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am told that the committee will be coming back to it. The principal thrust of the submissions and evidence from TII today has been to the effect that now is the time to invest or we will pay the price in terms of deterioration. Moreover, TII has numerous projects that it is keen to get working on. TII also has many projects that it wants to get to planning stage in order that when a bounce in funding comes, those projects are shovel ready, to echo one of the Deputies.

I have one final question and then we will hear any other comments before we wrap up. My question is parochial to some degree and relates to the Luas. TII has joined the red and green lines in Dublin city. It would make a good deal of sense to do more. I disagree with TII on the density issue. There is much evidence to suggest that if we built it, they will come, especially in city and suburban areas. I realise there are examples that contradict this view. Are there proposals anywhere in the pipeline? I know the idea of connecting the green and red lines on the southside was examined ten years ago. Are there proposals to connect Tallaght and Dundrum? That would link up a great swathe of population across Dundrum, Ballinteer, Ballycullen, Rathfarnham, Templeogue and parts of Old Bawn. These are vast population bases and it would connect them and allow them access to the overall Luas.