Mr. Hugh Creegan:

To deal with the issue of park and ride, which was raised by Senator Feighan and others, within the transport strategy there is a network of park and ride sites that we have to develop. I will repeat what I said in my statement. It was an issue of funding and we have not been able to deliver them up to now. However, over the next few years we will have to deliver them and there is additional funding available to do it.

One of the other problems we have is that while park and ride close to a rail system is fine because people get on the train, which is very reliable and attractive, if it is bus-based park and ride where there is no rail service, unless there is bus priority to that location, it does not become attractive. There is a connection with the BusConnects project. There is no use in us putting a park and ride at a location where somebody is as quick driving in as we can offer them in a bus. We need to do better than that.

With regard to Deputy Rock's question on the Luas to Finglas, I can confirm it is our intention with TII next year, when we get over the resource constraints we have with MetroLink at the moment, to start the design and planning phase of the Luas to Finglas in order to select a route and get that route protected through the development plan process. However, the actual delivery of the project, as the Deputy knows, is not included in the current development plan. Our intention is to get a route selected and protected, free from development, and it will then be ready to go at a point in the future.