Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

There is no shortage of political will for this project. I am on the record in the House and elsewhere saying I believe it does make strategic sense because what the Deputy says is true. We have developed a completely unsustainable planning, housing, development and transport model particularly in the eastern region but also throughout the country. We have had doughnut development where we go out and out and out. It still continues. According to the latest statistics 74% of all new houses in the country are being built in the greater Dublin area, including counties Meath, Kildare, Louth and Wicklow. Half of the building in the area is in these surrounding counties. There is a real problem that if we do not start switching our commuting patterns away from road-based systems towards rail and public transport systems the maths just simply will not work. Many of the commuters coming into Dublin city will hit an M50 that is at capacity where no additional capacity can be provided. It is inevitable gridlock. The Deputy spoke about the human cost of long commuting times and being stuck in traffic as well as the environmental and economic inefficiencies of it. I am very supportive. This is why through the process with the NTA any time I have been asked I have said that it seems to make strategic sense. The NTA has come back to confirm this. We must now do the cost estimations. As I said to Deputy O'Rourke earlier, this is what we are doing. We are on track. It will take time. There is a queue and planning in this country takes inordinate time. There is no lack of commitment to the project.

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