Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

I was referring to the particular matter of court cases. I will not dispute the Minister's figures but she could spend the money wisely.

I have heard much in recent days about the raising of motor tax, the money going to local authorities and concerns in the business community about the increase in commercial rates. The motor tax fund is ringfenced for local government but several local authorities are net contributors to it, the largest being in my area, County Kildare, 35% of whose motor tax receipts go somewhere else.

There was a discussion earlier today about building communities. It is almost impossible to do this in rapidly developing areas if they are starved of cash. There is an inequitable arrangement for the allocation of the local government fund and the areas most affected are the ones that contribute most by way of stamp duty, VAT and PAYE. These are the people from the commuter belt sitting in the traffic jams every day.

The question is not what is spent but how it is spent. This has been an ongoing problem for many years and the system is starting to show serious cracks; for example, there is a major deficit in County Meath, where the council has employed consultants and may have to increase commercial rates by 300% to absorb the debt, in a county where there is rapid development and which is a major net contributor to the motor tax fund.

On public transport, we are going backwards. The number of buses promised is now 100, from 200, and there will be a lower subvention in the Estimates because the extra 100 have not been delivered. Although there has been serious investment in the train already mentioned, it is called the Calcutta Express. I invite the Minister to travel on it any morning at peak time. It is almost necessary to have a person in white gloves outside to push the passengers on board. People want to use public transport but the level of delivery falls far behind the level of need.

I listen to AA Roadwatch to measure how difficult it will be for me to travel here and every time I hear it the West Link toll bridge is mentioned. This is a crisis. Something must be done about it and could be done in the short term by raising the barriers and covering the cost of doing so. We do not have to wait until 2008.

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