Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I have a final question. It is important for us to look at what we prioritise. We cannot make such decisions until we get some of the details.

I become depressed when I hear the agencies say that we do not need to look at a Luas extension to Poolbeg because that is some way off. As a representative of that area, in a city facing a housing crisis and absolute gridlock, I believe it should be a priority. There should be an urgency on the part of the agency represented here in the context of doing the design research. I was involved with the Dublin Transportation Office in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I remember our priority then, its clear, demonstrable signal, was that whatever you do, build public transport first, build metro first - this was 17 years ago - and then do the roads. We did the exact opposite and as a result the city is gridlocking and we have a crisis. This is a hugely significant funding issue.

How many staff does TII have actively working on design for new Luas or metro projects in Dublin? I presume it is nothing for Cork, Galway, Limerick or Waterford. Of the €700 million that TII has to spend, how much will go to public transport?