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

I will show the Deputy the improvement when we roll out the 41 new ICR units next year. I will show him the year after when we put in the new battery electric trains. I will go further. Next year we will also improve that line by building a charging station in Drogheda so that those battery electric trains can turn around and operate much quicker and at higher capacity. Improvements are on the way.

I wish to make a point. This is not anti-motorist. It is not saying there is a switch in prioritisation. The truth is that the M50 and the approach roads to it, as I said earlier, are full and no additional capacity is possible. The growth we can expect in our country and in this city cannot be catered for by car traffic. That will only make it worse for everyone.

I am sorry Deputy Kenny was late this morning, stuck in traffic because of the accident near Celbridge. Every day he knows that junction and that whole approach is backlogged and Deputy Fitzpatrick knows it is the same on the M1. There is nothing we can do about that in terms of increasing road capacity. There is no physical capability of increasing the road space so we have to invest in the alternative to make it better for everyone. That way, those who are in the cars will see the road space freed up.

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