Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his update. Even if one only looked back 20 years one would see that progress has been made. However, he is right that an awful lot still needs to be done. We must not go backwards either. I mean that when a new fleet is being purchased, it must be of the optimum standard. It is welcome that the specification is being developed for the DART fleet. I understood that that fleet was already on order. There was a big announcement of an order and I would have presumed that the specification would have been done in advance of an order being placed. Experience with the national children's hospital, for example, tells us that one must nail down the details or one will end up with add-ons and things like that. I am sure that the situation is exactly the same with transport. When is the fleet due to be delivered? I am sure it will arrive on an incremental basis rather than all at the one time because there is a degree of commissioning that is needed with trains.