Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not need to sell the importance of investment and intervention in support of the activities of the local authority to my fellow northsider because I know how acutely aware the Minister is of this. I had the privilege of being with him at the announcement of the NDP in November 2015 at Heuston Station. I was not in position to attend the most recent iteration, which provided nearly a 40% increase in the overall budget. Part of the problem is that Swords is almost a city with in excess of 40,000 people. It has a unique characteristics and national importance because of the proximity of Dublin Airport. Over many decades and many governments there has been a lack of investment in critical infrastructure. While the motorway is there and operational, I believe that BusConnects will not be delivered until 2024. Metro is eight years away. There is so much to be done in this community and I want to ensure that the NDP under the Minister's control is delivered in an appropriate way for what is an emerging city.

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