Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am simply making the point that the choice of press officer is a matter for the Minister and procedures and processes are in place by which that appointment is made. The appointment can be internal or external. I do not know what the Deputy's point is, but procurement rules and procedures are observed in all cases. That is the way it is. I am sure Deputy Ó Caoláin would agree that past association should not be a disqualification for anybody.

Transport 21 is an important infrastructural investment programme. We are communicating to the public the progress of the projects. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that; it is public information. We are reporting on the managing of impact during construction. I am sure Members would decry in this House the fact that public information was not being made available about where construction was taking place at various interchanges. A lot of good work has been done on the M50 and at other interchanges. A proactive approach is being taken to let people know what is happening and how it will impact on them getting to work every morning. I presume that is a public benefit. We inform the public about possible disruption and the impacts of individual projects before they occur.

We also have campaigns to increase awareness of public transport modes as we make the investments to make sure people are aware of them and will use them. We have seen the benefit of that approach with the development of the Luas lines and the numbers who use public transport. An extension of the Luas network is envisaged in Cherrywood and, I hope, in the docklands next year or the following year. Important information needs to be provided to citizens on an ongoing basis about the impact of Transport 21 in terms of their own convenience, their ability to get to work and how those projects impact on their locality. People are entitled to be made aware that the money is being well spent and that many of the projects are coming in within budget and on time or even before time.

That is the thrust of what is being worked on, so that the public is made aware of the €34 billion process and how it will interact in their daily lives. That is the purpose of the ongoing campaigns. In many respects they have been very good at that, especially, for example, in terms of the inconvenience to transport users coming to Dublin when major works were taking place at the Red Cow. All of that work has to be communicated to the public and done in a professional way that is to their benefit.

See this speech in context