Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

That is very disappointing in the context of the volume and extra capacity required in Dublin. I welcome the fact that there are to be some improvements. Can the Minister let us know when these buses will come on stream? I know the Ryder Cup buses are available. Does the Minister agree that they must be targeted in the vicinity of the M50, to bring people who live on the far side of that road into the city? It has become unbearable for people living on either side of the M50. It was supposed to liberate us but the M50 has become like a wall, imprisoning people inside and outside it. In my constituency I can travel right around all the new communities on the north side, such as those who use the Navan Road, and they now experience appalling delays, not just on the M50, its approach roads and slip roads but in trying to get in and out of estates, which they cannot do because the traffic has become so bad.

It is necessary to target new buses not at existing routes but at new routes, because it is very important that those people can get into Dublin city. I am sure the Minister is aware we are facing another five years of traffic chaos with the M50 upgrade and something has to be done as a matter of urgency.

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