Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

When the Bill went through the Dáil I made the point that the Minister should have opted for the national transport authority as the DTA has limitations. One of the problem areas relates to counties Meath and Louth. Much of the Bill is excellent, particularly as it relates to land use and strategy but, for example, planning permissions in County Meath must conform to transport plans, while in County Louth they do not need to regard them at all.

It is very important for that anomaly to be cleared up around the country because when the economy recovers and the building industry picks up again, we want to ensure there is joined-up thinking, with transport plans linked to housing estates rather than what has happened over the past 12 years.

With regard to licensing, which currently resides with the Department, I presume that authority will go to the DTA or the national transport authority when it comes along. There have been many cutbacks in Bus Éireann around the country and people are up in arms over them. I was told that two years ago Bus Éireann in Drogheda requested from the Department a consent to vary a route so as to include a railway station in the mornings. It has waited two years for that decision.

Is the Department operating in Soviet Russia or why is there such slow and unacceptably ridiculous decision making and bureaucracy? Why will the Department not approve the route straight away?

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