Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. I worked on the Glanmire bypass in the 1980s and subsequently went on do work in Little Island and Carrigtwohill, and tied in with LotusWorks. I am well aware of the challenges. I could almost tell the witnesses where the ESB cables come down to light up the sign heading down to the tunnel.

I want to touch on a few points although much of this is case sensitive. I welcome the two-stage process with a type of safety net. It is thinking outside the box and doing something different in terms of options available to prevent running into a pinch point, which has happened now. The Dunkettle roundabout is a pinch point and we are well aware that something must be done.

I have a number of questions. Mention was made in the opening statement of the target costs, which is an estimated cost. For people watching this meeting, the target cost is an estimated cost. Can Mr. Nolan cap that or are there certain clauses in contracts? Previously, the opposite was the case. A price was given and if a project was finished within time, or short of the time, one got a bonus. That was a very different stage.

I have one or two more questions but I said I would be brief. I welcome the fact that Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, has taken ownership of the site investigation and planning and design aspects, which means there will not be any duplications and money will be saved. The plan is in place but who do we get to implement that plan? As Mr. Nolan said, he is waiting for the target costs, which I understand. Has that target cost come anywhere near to being finalised yet? Can he give the public an idea on when the project will start? He also said that, in the worst case scenario, if stage 2 had to go back out for retender, it could be another 12 to 18 months before the initial project might kick off. Is there a possibility that regardless of what happens, some work will start within the next 18 months? We need to let the people know that.

In terms of the worst case scenario, is Mr. Nolan confident in saying that the Dunkettle interchange and associated works will start in 18 months?

To give credit where credit is due, we have been kept updated with what is going on at the site through emails and so on. I compliment everyone involved in that. However, the one issue, which has been mentioned by the Vice Chairman, is the perception of what is going out in the media and whether it is fake or real news. People are confused. The Vice Chairman referred to millions of euro earlier. If the cost targets have not been set yet there are no moneys costed. That is being realistic. Are any of the witnesses in a position to confirm for the public that moneys have not been costed yet and that it will depend on the TII first and then the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to sanction that?

The most important point is that it is accepted nationally, and Mr. Nolan said it in his opening statement, that this is the most complex interchange project in his programme. It is a massive project but it has to be done because Cork cannot grow with this pinch point. It will certainly do a great deal of damage to infrastructure. In terms of employment, we need Cork to grow. We have the plans for the future. It will also affect housing and every other area.

We have more than 12,500 km of roads in Cork and it is difficult enough to keep those resurfaced and so on. That is a different story but, realistically, can the witnesses be confident, from the position we are in today, that in 18 months we will not be back here asking the reason work has not started?