Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I am pleased to speak on this important motion on which I commend Deputy O'Dowd. The National Roads Authority, NRA, has developed new roads across the country and made great improvements in infrastructure. However, the subject of this Private Members' motion is echoed in every council chamber across the country, including support from members of the Minister's party when they see at first hand the difficulty in making representations about issues to the NRA. Some of them have become frustrated over the years.

For instance, in my constituency of Tipperary South, a bypass has been required for several years for Tipperary town which has been clogged with traffic for years. Several Ministers over a long period have stated that a bypass was badly needed and have given commitments. The current Minister has also given a commitment to consider this issue. The NRA has consistently put it on the back burner. A small amount of money is allocated every year to cover the design and smaller issues. However, it is far away from being started. There is a question about how the NRA is spending the significant funding. Members of local authorities find it impossible to find out. We need to have access to the NRA so that we can find out this information. When a small change needs to be made in a major roads project, it is very difficult. For instance on the Dublin to Cork road when a rural community outside Kilcoran near Cahir was being cut off, it took a long time for the NRA to make a decision. Parliamentary questions, interventions and deputations to Ministers were employed. Something that would not have cost too much to achieve initially, took a long time and was very frustrating. These are the difficulties encountered by people in accessing the NRA. This is quite unfair in these times when accountability is required.

With regard to CIE, a total of €6.3 billion of taxpayers' money has been spent on CIE by way of subsidy since 1997. This begs the question as to what has been CIE's overall plan. Why has it allowed the transport of goods by rail to go to transport by road? We have spent vast amounts of money yet we have allowed what was a good well structured rail network lose that valuable goods business. It is wrong and it is unfair to the taxpayer. It is unfair of the Government to allow this to happen. I ask the Minister even at this late stage to explain why taxpayers' money is being spent and the goods transport business is being lost.

See this speech in context