Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I understand the city council has now decided the bus gate will operate from July. That decision was made about a week or ten days ago, two days after I met the city manager, the Dublin City Business Association, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the CIE companies, the RPA and the Garda Síochána - in the stakeholders' group I meet on a quarterly basis, to keep myself updated on what is happening and the issues that are arising.

On the other point made by Deputy O'Dowd, it is the responsibility of the consortiums, if they have worries or fears about being able to finance their bids, to do the business themselves in relation to this matter. I emphasise, however, by way of being helpful, that in recent days the M25 road widening scheme, a major PPP, similar to the metro north in the UK, was successfully funded with the support of the EIB. This would indicate that matters are loosening up somewhat on that particular front and that should provide some hope and comfort to those who might be bidding.

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