Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will always urge the National Transport Authority, NTA, to look at anything which might be a solution but I am sure it is looking at it already. It regularly looks at alternative suggestions if there is overcrowding in various areas and the overcrowding which the Deputy has spoken about certainly applies sometimes to various services. Alternatives are looked at and produced when that happens. On the Luas, there are promises that there will be alternative busses if there is overcrowding or if there are delays or disruptions during the building of the MetroLink.

On the issue of the ring fencing, the money is there for the A5. It is a North-South deal as the Deputy will be fully aware and that project will go ahead as planned. It is simply a timing difference as a result of a decision which was made outside the jurisdiction and there is no threat to that project or to any other project as a result of what happened with the new national children's hospital.

On an overall timeframe for double decker busses, they have an optimal life of about 12 years and the NTA's current fleet strategy envisages a continual fleet replacement programme of about one twelfth of the fleet each year-----

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