Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The Taoiseach referred to inflation, but I referred to the cost overrun after inflation. If one wished to include inflation, it would be even worse. The overrun after inflation was found to be 86%.

The Taoiseach has still not answered my question about whether he accepts that it is right and proper that a plan presented as costing €5.6 billion is now estimated to cost up to €18 billion or, as some people say, €20 billion. Is that acceptable? As head of the Government, does the Taoiseach have any sense that a mistake was made when the national roads needs study was effectively binned? What we have instead is a motorway plan that is not rooted in sound traffic or financial management. That has been proven, and it is not we who are saying it; it has been said internationally. Might the Taoiseach at least have some pause for thought and halt the signing of contracts for the toll roads, which will make enormous profits for private builders over the heads and at the cost of taxpayers for years? Will he at least halt those contracts and investigate where the financial management commonsense has gone? Will the Government put this commonsense back into the plan and reincorporate the national roads needs study?

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