Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

On the third matter, we have been talking about setting up a Dublin transport authority in the context of the major investment envisaged for public transport in Dublin. This does not mean that the transport requirements of other areas will be neglected in any way. Unprecedented investment is planned, as the Deputy knows, throughout the country in respect of public transport, and I am glad this has the broad support of the House.

On the Bill that is to come from the Department of Transport, the heads of the Bill have been passed by Government. On how soon the Chief Parliamentary Counsel can produce the detailed Bill, that has to do with continuing matters and I cannot indicate a date. We hoped by putting it in section A to have it for this session and that is what we should like to see happen. Obviously, there are many priorities, however, which the parliamentary counsel has to deal with. Members on the Opposition side who have been in government understand that such issues are all the time being evaluated by the Chief Whip in discussions with the parliamentary counsel.

On the national development plan, indicative timelines have been set out, but no final decision has yet been taken on when it will be published. That work is advancing and it must, obviously, be approved by Government before we decide on a publication date. All the omens are indicative, pending approval and finalisation of the plan. On the prospects of the outgoing plan being debated, that is a matter for the Whips to deliberate on and agree.

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