Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will no doubt be aware – I am sure he has welcomed it – we have just had the opening of Luas Cross City this week. That is an example of the kind of public transport of which we need more.

I am aware of the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly, but the assembly has the ability to consider each item in isolation whereas I do not. I have to pull everything together in the aggregate. I have to ensure all of the expenditure plans across all of Government equate to a figure that equals the amount of tax we are going to raise and the additional funding that we are going to borrow.

Moreover, I have to deal with issues with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, and his Department in respect of road safety, regional connectivity and how we can do that in an affordable way. I emphasise again my strong intention that when we publish the capital plan in the first quarter of next year, and I intend to publish it early in the first quarter, it will have an even more strengthened investment component to deal with the challenge of climate change.

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