Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy has asked me an enormous range of questions. There is €16 billion in the national development plan, and there was €9 billion in its predecessor for public transport initiatives. I am in favour of bus corridors, increased buses and rail cars. The first 12 out of 60 trains are coming on stream and there are more than 100 buses. An order has been put in for another 100 buses and I am in favour of all those initiatives.

Surveys show that when the schools are open parents bring their children and they all leave more or less at the one time. If a school opens at 8.50 a.m., there is an enormous congregation of people at that time. When the parents are working the congestion is spread out over longer periods throughout the day. My route to work today took 40 minutes less, for instance, because the schools were closed. Friends of mine who live further out say they saved an hour and a quarter on Monday, so there is no doubt that the schools issue is the problem. It is not that the parents are not around, though I accept some young parents may take some time off to be with their children. Most people, however, are still working and the problem is the congregation of time, with everyone centralising around the same hour. It is a big problem. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, is very much in favour of what the Deputy said concerning dedicated bus corridors. He wants to do more in this regard on the quays and to have more buses. These are policies we agree with and are anxious to pursue.

I am not going to get into an argument about the contract. A State contract was agreed. The law officers of the State, officials etc. were involved in that contract. The contract must be dealt with and it is one we must get out of, regardless of what the Deputy or I may think about anyone involved. As regards the M50 toll barriers, I have questioned the relevant people at length. I do not disagree with the Deputy's thinking. However, all the people involved share a unanimous view to the effect that the lifting of the Westlink toll barriers will not solve the congestion being experienced at various locations along the M50. It is acknowledged that the Westlink toll plaza, its approaches and departure sections are inadequate to deal with current traffic levels. It is also true that there are infrastructural deficiencies along other sections of the M50, particularly at key interchanges. It is the combination of these factors that gives rise to the delays being experienced by motorists using the M50 as well as those who use the radial routes that traverse the motorway. The Government and the National Roads Authority are fully committed to improving the level of service provided to motorists on the M50 and we believe this can best be achieved by three initiatives: the €1 billion M50 upgrade, which is underway; the removal of the Westlink toll plaza; and the move to barrier-free tolling, which will happen in August 2008.

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