John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I raise the recent report by the Department of Transport regarding the cost of congestion in the regional cities of Waterford, Cork and Galway. The report highlighted the cost of congestion in Galway will double between now and 2030, from €54 million currently to €107.4 million in 2030, which is an astronomical figure.

In the following decade, from 2030 to 2040, the cost for Galway is expected to stabilise to €106.9 million. This stabilisation is based on the assumption the Galway city ring road will be operational post-2030. We heard already during Leaders' Questions how the Taoiseach values this project and wants to see it being promoted.

Despite this, Galway is still projected to be the city with the highest cost of congestion in 2040 - higher than Cork and Waterford. The report states the planned interventions - other than the road - are not sufficient to offset the increase in congestion in the city centre and wider metropolitan area. The report also highlighted the rate of public transport usage among commuters was five times the rate in Dublin as opposed to the regional cities.

See this speech in context