Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Everything the Deputy has said is authentic and genuine and we should take what he is saying to heart. The consultation process will be extremely extensive and I think the dialogue will be successful, but that does not meant that there will not be court cases. There always are and there will be some, but I do not think we should lose sight of the big picture which is halving the time it takes people to get to work. In fact, they will be more than halved because if we to continue on our current course, travelling times and traffic congestion will continue to increase. Instead, we will have a speedy, reliable bus service which will moves at a pace we have not seen before. People will get to work and arrive home earlier and buses will be able to keep to timetables, something they could not do before. It is also part of climate change policy and the programme for the removal of carbon emissions which we have been pursuing with increasing vigour and on which we need to play catch-up. Having 200 km of dedicated, segregated cycling lanes beside the new bus lanes is quite new and something we should all welcome. We will also have pedestrian lanes beside them which will encourage people to walk to work. It is all part of a very big picture. The Deputy is talking about something that is important and very important to the individuals concerned. If, in the future, he wishes to bring people to meet me to discuss the issue, I will be happy to transfer their views to the NTA rather than interfere directly. I am conscious, as I have been about the difficulties at the airport, that some people are concerned and that there are those whose lifestyles will be changed. It is a consideration we must take into account.

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