Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

This is a serious step. The Green man has gone yellow by letting power move from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the Department of Transport. The environment and roads were always connected with local authorities and this is a step in the wrong direction.

The train service in the west is the worst in the country. I have been listening to Iarnród Éireann promise new trains for the past 20 years. The trains are dangerously overcrowded every weekend. This is a health and safety issue and it is time something was done about it. Thirty years ago when there was nothing in the country there was a dining car on the train from Westport to Dublin, now we cannot even have a trolley where people can get a cup of tea on a three and a half hour journey. What has gone wrong? We are going backwards and that is why we are taking these responsibilities from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and moving them in to the Department of Transport. Last week I asked the Minister for Transport how many people had provisional licences for one, two or three years and he told me he had no responsibility for this. When we put down questions about roads the Minister takes no responsibility for anything. If he did he would not be Minister for Transport but in any other jurisdiction would be out the door. I cannot understand why Ministers will not take responsibility. They talk about reform in the House but it is time we had real reform and that Ministers were accountable.

We have waited 20 years for the N5 from Westport to Castlebar and the Minister of State was there last weekend and had a joyous time. He saw the traffic problems we experience between Castlebar and Westport. After ten years of planning and funding we were told by the National Roads Authority last week that a dual carriageway from Westport to Bohola is possible, but I will be drawing two old age pensions by the time such projects reach Westport. We wanted the Minister last week to announce funding for the N25 and N26 because it is needed. We are aware of the problems that exist and if the Government wants to build a dual carriageway that is fine but we want the funding in place first.

When we contact the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government we will be told the matter is the responsibility of the Department of Transport. When we contact the Department of Transport we will be told it is not the responsibility of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey, because he is no longer responsible for anything in this country.

Some discussions are needed in this House and one relates to the responsibilities of Ministers. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, is not really Minister as that position is filled by Professor Brendan Drumm. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey, will not take responsibility. County managers in local authorities hold power but will not answer letters, though it is specified in legislation that they should. What will the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Tony Killeen, do about this? When we were forced off local authorities the legislation stated that we would receive responses from local authority managers and officials within a reasonable timeframe. I now must contact the Ombudsman when I require a response and it is time for a debate on local authorities in this House.

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