Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Nothing will change unless the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport intervenes at the Taoiseach's request. Most of the big trams are not arriving – they are late. They are not coming until March. At that point, the whole of the central area will close down. I imagine the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, is familiar with this as well.

I regularly go on the bus simply to see if there is any improvement. The drivers are beyond their wits' end. There is chaos on the main streets of our capital. The queues on the quays are backed up to Prussia Street and Aughrim Street and all along the quays. All of the northside is the same and, I am told, it is the same for people coming in from the southside.

The Taoiseach represents a Dublin constituency. The Luas is a great achievement. The Taoiseach uses phrases like "inter-connected-whole-of-government". Will he find the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and put him on a tram or bus or get him to walk? I do not care which option he chooses. Will he get the Minister on a bus to allow him to see and feel the frustration of the staff and especially of the passengers?

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