Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This has affected planning matters and, therefore, transport management hugely. We continue to suffer to this day as a result of poor planning. There has been a lack of joined-up thinking to ensure developments are correctly catered for, areas which are experiencing growth in population have sufficient transport links and road and rail infrastructure is properly planned to cater for the needs of people in the locality. Over the past decade we suffered a huge setback when Fianna Fáil's economics led to the bankruptcy of the State. A large number of planned projects had to be shelved, postponed or curtailed. We got away with this for some time when unemployment in Dublin plummeted and there were fewer commuters, but now we are reaping what was sowed.

As the Fianna Fáil motion details, the city suffers from dreadful congestion at peak times, the M50 and many rail routes are at capacity and we lack sufficient infrastructure to cater for buses, cyclists and other modes of transport that involve leaving the car at home. These measures are vital both from a traffic management point of view and to achieve our emissions targets for 2020, which the Environmental Protection Agency has said will not happen under the current range of policy measures. We have included measures regarding park and ride facilities to link in with existing infrastructural projects and areas to keep bicycles to facilitate commuters in order that they can use public transport easily and efficiently.

This is not only a problem in Dublin. Our cities are suffering as a result of this legacy too. Galway has been mentioned in the media as being one of the worst cities suffering congestion.

Of course, the west has essentially been ignored when it comes to development, so this should come as no surprise. Cork and other cities and towns such as Drogheda also suffer from this problem of congestion. The movement of goods is also affected, further damaging industry. This is why we propose in our amendment to have regional advisory authorities, rather than only one authority for the greater Dublin area. This might be especially helpful as we prepare the national planning framework.

Our amendment also calls on the Government to protect CIE companies. We all know what these companies have gone through in the past few years. We also know that the NTA is putting 10% of bus routes out to tender. Protecting the national carriers is vitally important. The motion outlines the crucial role public transport will play, particularly in Dublin city, if we are to manage our growing population and transport needs into the future.

Sinn Féin would like to see future infrastructural projects being owned and run by the State. The State should be willing to invest in these projects, with support from EU funding sources. The State should retain ownership and control over these assets to ensure we enjoy a high-quality service that meets the needs of the people they serve and not merely business interests.

I am happy to see that the Luas cross-city project is due to be completed by the end of the year. It will certainly come as a relief to the people of Dublin and to transport carriers and businesses that have been inconvenienced by the building works. However, this project is yet another example of the lack of forward planning. We are playing catch-up. Projects such as metro north, Luas cross-city and the outer orbital route are coming decades too late. We need to grab the bull by the horns now and prioritise these projects to ensure that our citizens have excellent transport links, allowing business, trade and tourism to grow in the coming decades.

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