Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

I was interested to hear the Taoiseach speak about the cross-departmental team on infrastructure and public private partnerships, basically giving us the impression that it is a frustrating experience. A sense of exasperation and general lack of progress seems to be what sets projects in some areas under it apart. I wonder if some of that is not self-inflicted. Has the cross-departmental team taken on board the Taoiseach's stated wish that Mr. Justice Kenny's report recommendations should be implemented? If so, has the progress made by the team helped towards the implementation of those recommendations, or is it ignoring that stated wish and taking it as an aside without addressing it with sincerity? Has that stated wish impacted on the discussions and the delivery, particularly in the area of housing and proper planning, which impacts on transport, as the Taoiseach is aware?

A cost benefit analysis has not been carried out on the proposal for a parallel runway at Dublin Airport. On the last occasion the Taoiseach replied to a question I raised on this proposal, he told me that in the normal course he thought that a cost benefit analysis would be done. If that is the normal course, does the cross-departmental team set down requirements, whatever about guidelines, that a large project of that sort would certainly need a cost benefit analysis and far more scrutiny than is currently given to that project? Is the cross-departmental team leading or is it just a victim of other people's mismanagement?

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