Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. Following the meeting of 13 June did the cross-departmental team consider the question of the confusion over Cork Airport being released free of debt to work independently? Did the team consider a qualitative independent analysis of the implications of the cost and consequences of the proposed new second runway for Dublin Airport? Strong concern is being expressed that a quality cost benefit analysis should be carried out. Will the Taoiseach confirm that is happening?

Last week the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, said the next National Development Programme 2007-13 would be based not on the regions but on the national spatial strategy. In the BMW region the Government's NDP spending programme shows a shortfall of €3.65 billion. Will that money, previously destined for cross-departmental and infrastructural projects in that region be made up and allocated to the region as the Government intended it to be, regardless of whether the new NDP is based on the spatial strategy?

Did the cross-departmental team consider the statistics which the Economic and Social Research Institute confirmed this morning, showing that house price growth has averaged 15% over the past ten years and the average house price has now risen to €280,000? In 1996 the difference in average house prices between Dublin and the rest of the country was €10,000, whereas now it is €130,000. That is a matter for serious consideration for Government given that last year only 1,833 affordable houses were acquired, only 730 shared ownership transactions were completed and 57 fully or partially redeveloped sites on foot of Part 5 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. These are serious matters for hundreds of thousands of people. Will the Taoiseach say whether the cross-departmental team considered these startling statistics?

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