James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have to cut across Mr. Spratt. As he knows, I do not have the luxury of time. I have approximately five minutes left on the clock.

Mr. Spratt is the Secretary General of the Department of Transport. He has an entire team in his Department whom I, as a public representative, expect to deliver these projects. I am not laying blame as such, but what does Mr. Spratt think we as legislators need to do to make his life easier in terms of delivering these capital projects? Is there any step in the process, which he eloquently outlined to us, where efficiencies or improvements could be made? We have to spend billions of euro just to play catch-up and bring us to a level we should have been at 20 years ago. I did not use the word "emergency" lightly. There are so many avenues that we have not explored yet in terms of improving public transport. MetroLink is only one of a number of projects that need to be explored, but I have a concern about their delivery. I would like some feedback on that. The Department is dealing with billions upon billions of euro of taxpayers' money. What does Mr. Spratt think the Oireachtas could do to make his Department's life a little easier in terms getting these projects delivered? I ask him to resist referring to efficiencies under the public spending code because that process generally takes between six months and a year whereas we are discussing projects that have been delayed for decades. Is it an issue of funding certainty or the planning process? Has Mr. Spratt notes for us in that regard? Will he embellish some of these points, if possible?