Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I can understand what Deputy Troy is saying but I reject what he says about there being no strategy at all. Within the constraints there are some very heavy projects and commitments. Not all of them can be delivered immediately because of financial constraints, but there are some very imaginative projects that will be.

I do not know if the Deputy wants to scrap the metro north - maybe he wants to hurry it up - but he is going to have to tell me what he will pay for it with. It will come into existence at the earliest possible date. We have said consistently that if the growth rates improve, if the economy improves, if there is money in the Exchequer, one of the things the money will be spent on is to progress some of these projects. That is absolutely vital. They cannot be conjured out of thin air when the Exchequer does not have the resources. We are doing an enormous amount on the projects I have mentioned within the limited resources we have.

See this speech in context