Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is what I am trying to probe. Clearly the M3 is critical and welcome infrastructure but it has a major flaw in that when it gets to Blanchardstown it becomes effectively a car park. There is no infrastructure to feed in to in terms of the access. Let us consider the growth figures. Let us suppose the figures were to grow at the levels that Mr. Kennedy is suggesting. Will the congestion levels grow? There is correlation between them and the growth levels. Congestion is equally going to grow and it will become undesirable to use that infrastructure. It is welcome to hear that we could have an end of payments by the Exchequer to the concessionary company by the end of next year, but it is premised on the fact that growth figures are going to go to a certain level. The corollary is that it will lead to a far more undesirable traffic experience for commuters and they will seek alternatives. Has that been taken into the reckoning?