Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It would be an enormous mistake to delay these important plans and investments in public transport.

In terms of what we can do, we can implement Project Ireland 2040 to ensure that the cities other than Dublin grow twice as fast as Dublin. Part of the solution to congestion in Dublin is Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway and other urban centres like Athlone, Sligo, Dundalk and Drogheda growing twice as fast as Dublin. We can turn around a millennium of development in Ireland and move it into a different direction, but it has to be part of the solution. We can invest in cycling and pedestrian facilities, a lot of which is under way already. The Deputy will have seen many of the improvements around the city but much more needs to be done in that regard. We can also invest in public transport projects like Bus Connects, to which I am very committed. Notwithstanding the disruption it will cause for some, it will benefit the many in terms of reducing journey times, perhaps by half, in suburban Dublin. We can also invest in rail, much of which is done already. Luas and Luas cross city are now up and running. They were criticised and opposed by many. It did overrun, not cross city but the early elements, but I doubt anyone regrets now that the Luas was built, and there are demands every day for new lines. The Phoenix Park tunnel is open, allowing for better connections between the Kildare commuter routes and the city centre, and the metro is now out for design.

The truth is that we have to engage with the public and it is right to engage with the public on design to get it right. That is happening with BusConnects and it is happening with MetroLink. People have genuine concerns because it disrupts their sports clubs, it can disrupt their schools, it can involve taking away their parking and it can involve taking away parts of their gardens. We should not dismiss genuine concerns from communities, whether it is Na Fianna GAA club, whether it is people in Ranelagh or whether it is people out in Terenure. We should not dismiss their concerns. We are not a dictatorship; this is not the Soviet Union and it is not the 19th century in Glasgow. We do not just run roughshod over people and communities so the right thing to do-----

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