Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Has the cross-departmental team conducted any fundamental review of the very concept of so-called public private partnerships, considering public projects to be delivered in this way will be much more expensive for the taxpayers than need be the case? In regard to construction and housing, did that recent meeting to which the Taoiseach referred, discuss the delivery of the thousands of social and affordable homes that are guaranteed and promised by the Government in the recent partnership agreement? The Taoiseach is pressing ahead with many projects of public private partnership in one form or another in regard to toll roads. Has he not had pause for thought considering the ongoing disaster of the existing public private partnership, if we can call it that, known as the West Link toll bridge over the Liffey. I passed it the other day at 10.30 a.m. or 11 a.m. which is not rush hour and the traffic was backed up to Finglas. What lessons has the Taoiseach learned from this? Can he do something to end the suffering of our heavily taxed motorists who need to use their cars and use this facility?

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