Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I went to many consultation meetings on metro north and we were told it would take something like 70,000 cars off the road on a weekly basis. I am sure that number would be even more. With its potential impact, why have we not completed that process but jumped to this instead? I know we must improve standards and do things but it is in the programme for Government to build metro north. Why have we not concentrated efforts to get this over the line before looking at the routes or corridors we are discussing today? I agree with Deputy Shortall in many ways. The routes in general have worked very well but the areas of congestion are the problem, for example, the likes of Hart's Corner. The concentration should have been on such locations in order to get solutions. At that stage we could look even more at improving corridors. The ordinary routes should have seen more examination. Many of them should have been left alone as they were hard fought for by communities. Now there is uproar over them. I could go through the list in my area, and I have already outlined this to Mr. Creegan. What is happening with metro north and why have we not pushed on even more with it?