Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

No, I was not suggesting I supported it. I was asking whether there was merit in considering it or giving consideration to improving the outer ring roads in a way that would alleviate the pressure. Everything appears to converge on the M50, with traffic travelling north, south and east, which is hard to understand. However, I agree with the Minister on one point, which is that public transport must be considered to alleviate the congestion. He mentioned the orbital bus routes, which are for the future and will be important. In addition, the metro north project should take a great deal of pressure off in respect of the number of cars it will take off the roads. It is estimated that a couple of hundred thousand cars could be taken off the roads. I seek the Minister's opinion on this, as although metro north is for the future, it is a major project that could have an immense impact. The congestion problem is building on the M50 and will not stop. I do not believe it will be sufficient to put up signage or to lower speeds limits, given the problems that appear to be building at peak hours, in particular.

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