Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

The issue I raised is serious. This is frustrating but it is not within my power to resolve the problem. I ask the Ceann Comhairle and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to consider this issue. Today, I found I was ruled out of order in putting down a priority question relating to An Post, being told the Minister had no responsibility for postal services. The question I asked was about policy and it is not good enough for the Ceann Comhairle to throw this back at me on the basis that the Minister has no responsibility in the area. Whatever about the Minister for Health and Children and our complaints about her transferring questions to the HSE, at least she accepts the questions.

About a third of our carbon emissions come from transport so it is a huge issue. It is not something like electricity generation where we can find easy alternatives. It is a major aspect of transport policy. When we debate Transport 21 or any issues relating to transport, we must bear in mind the energy requirements of policies that depend primarily on the use of the car over everything else. Transport 21 had all the hallmarks of the health strategy produced by Deputy Micheál Martin before the 2002 election. It was a wish list and the reply to a question from Deputy Broughan makes clear that the reality is different from the aspirations in the strategy. There are delays in a range of projects and the Minister for Transport has admitted that he has not lived up to all the aspirations. I remember one of the Minister's predecessor's undertaking that the metro would be delivered for the airport within a two or four year time frame.

The Luas lines are still unconnected, a monument to the lack of joined up thinking in Government. Luas is coming to Cherrywood, however, just over the border from Wicklow. Luas in reality is led by developers not by the public good. The community in Bray came together, led by business interests, and fought hard for the Luas extension to Bray, although it was disappointed that the Green Party did not fight the good fight when it had the chance when preparing the programme for Government. Thankfully the extension was agreed in principle by the Government.

We have another battle on our hands. The outer orbital route, which is not in the document but is part and parcel of NRA planning, will extend from Drogheda to Naas, leaving Wicklow and Wexford at a great disadvantage. That is unacceptable. Statistics show the south-east has not kept up economically with many other parts of the country. It is a hidden problem. We must ensure we are in the loop created by the outer orbital road or we will fall far behind. This is a drum I will beat at every opportunity.

People in Wicklow would love to use public transport but it simply does not exist for them. There is a DART line and a rail line from Rosslare but that line is way down the list of priorities for rail development. A railway line runs alongside Avoca village. For very little money, the station could be opened to allow people to commute to Dublin. The train stops in Rathdrum but not in Avoca and people in Avoca constantly demand the re-opening of the station. On Monday night people were petitioning me yet again on the matter. I appreciate Deputy Roche has raised the issue and I hope we can work together on it but it makes no sense that people in Avoca have no option other than travelling to work by car.

One pensioner I know was extremely frustrated by the restrictions put in place by the bus service. A bus to Arklow leaves Avoca at 11 a.m. and returns at 1.45 p.m. This gentleman is very sick and must go on a daily basis to his doctor. He cannot do that within the timeframe and tells me that people are always hitch hiking on the Avoca to Arklow road. That does not make sense and is certainly not a safe alternative for those who need access to their local town.

If there is to be sustainable development, it must be social as well as environmental. At present there is a concentration on flagship projects the Minister or the Taoiseach can open with great fanfare, such as the port tunnel project. Usually these have gobbled up huge resources, gone way over budget and taken longer than planned. Meanwhile improvements that could be made in public transport for a much better return, and for access to it for those on low incomes for much less are not being made. That is one of my major regrets about transport policy. I hope the Minister will consider his failure to live up to his aspirations in this document and reconsider what is important.

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