Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. Like my colleagues on this side of the House, I believe there should be a strong business case for transferring powers from one Department to another before changes take place. In most cases, the change should be for the better. However, given recent developments within the Department, in particular those pertaining to Aer Lingus and the Shannon debacle, as well as the mess made regarding drivers with provisional licences and the road safety programme, I am worried.

The proposed changes do not make me confident in respect of the implementation of the roads programme. The Minister of State should reassure the House that there will not be a negative impact as a result of these arrangements. The proposed changes will transfer a considerable degree of financial autonomy from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the Minister for Transport. In view of the magnitude of the responsibilities pertaining to the local government fund and the national vehicle and driver file, effectively the Minister is giving them away under an agreement made in the programme for Government that the non-national roads budget, consisting of the local government fund and the Exchequer grants would be transferred.

The Department of Transport is growing by the day. Given all that is taking place within that Department at present, including Transport 21 and all the additional work it entails, I question whether the Department will be capable of delivering all new projects on time and within budget.

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