Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I will get to it. My preamble relates to it because it is important to stress the progress made in many communities.

Deputies will mention their constituencies during the debate. They will refer to good elements, but they will also refer to challenges. Deputy Ciarán Lynch referred to boreens. While there are not many boreens in Tallaght, there are quite a few poor roads. At a time when significant progress is being made in terms of national roads, as seen by Deputies while driving around the country, there are gaps in terms of non-national roads. There is much work to be done, a point I hope the Minister will make before he passes this file to his colleague in the Department of Transport. I expect many colleagues to make this point during the debate.

I could bring the Minister around Tallaght, Firhouse, Templeogue or Greenhills. When people, even those in new communities, get up in the morning and drive to school, to the shops or about their business — sometimes, I walk to the Luas, but I drive when the weather is inclement — they face poor roads. I could bring the Minister to as many potholes in my major urban area as a Deputy could bring him to in Roscommon, Thurles, Tipperary or Cork.

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