Mr. Jim Meade:

Yes, people have their opinions, that is for sure. We do know that anywhere heavier infrastructure is put in, it gets used and indeed overused. I give the example of the Crossrail project in London. That was going to do them for ten years. In due course, the committee will have our chair designate, who was heavily involved in the project. Some 18 months in, they are at capacity. It has outstripped what they planned for.

To the substantive part of the Deputy's question, we are getting a fair hearing. There are other competing projects. That is where the debate comes in, as to whether we should spend it on heavy rail, light rail, bus or active travel. We would say that as a country we need to do all of these things. Then that comes down to a cash flow and we also have to be realistic We cannot just keep shovelling money over the fence at everything. It is a matter of getting the balance right and identifying the projects that will deliver. I think the Navan line is one of those that will deliver. It will be heavily used and it will justify its investment.