Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Transport the position on to the establishment of a Dublin transport authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13118/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Substantial progress has been made in preparing the legislation and it remains my intention to publish the Dublin transport authority Bill shortly. The establishment of the authority will ensure the full and effective delivery of an integrated transport system in the greater Dublin area under Transport 21. In anticipation of the publication of the legislation and to commence the process of putting the necessary organisational arrangements in place, I recently appointed Mr. Tom Mulcahy as chairman designate of the authority. Pending the establishment of the authority on a statutory basis, I have asked Mr. Mulcahy, in his capacity as chairman designate, to give initial consideration to the management and organisational structure and to human resource and financial requirements of the proposed authority and to engage the key stakeholders and other interested parties as part of the preparatory process leading to the establishment of the authority and its early discharge of its statutory functions.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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This is probably the final question time with the Minister for Transport in this Dáil; when we reached the final Question Time on transport in the previous Dáil, we were also promised a Dublin transport authority but it has not been established. The legislation has not been published and I do not know whether the Minister is even still promising to publish it before the end of this Dáil. It will not be passed and the authority, therefore, will not be established to deal with the significant issues facing Dublin such as the increasing incidence of gridlock and the failure of public transport providers and local authorities to work together as they continue to compete with one another. It is little wonder a decision cannot be made on how to join the Luas lines or provide integrated ticketing. There has been a complete failure to plan and co-ordinate the major infrastructure projects under way in Dublin. The port tunnel is pouring traffic on to the M50, which is a building site that is about to worsen. Absolutely nobody is driving all the decisions that need to be made urgently in the city. Will the Minister explain how the Government has taken five years to fail to deliver on the one initiative that might effect some change in transport in Dublin?

Will he also explain why he deliberately misled the public by promising 100 buses for the private sector? A further 100 buses were to be delivered through the Dublin transport authority but that authority has not yet been set up. The Minister did not mention that it could not be set up until he passed another Bill to reform the Road Transport Act 1999. As everybody in the House knows, reform of that Act has been promised since it was first passed and it is as likely to happen as is draining the Shannon.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I do not agree with the Deputy's assertions. A substantial amount of work is being undertaken, as is all too visible to the people of Dublin, on changes to the delivery of transport in the city and in the many different modes of transport being offered. The Deputy knows the two Luas lines work exceptionally well and seven extensions are being worked on.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Here we go again, the Minister's litany.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The consultation process on the metro has been completed and the preliminary tender issued. All the agencies are carrying out their work.

I strongly agree with the Deputy that we need a Dublin transport authority. I have appointed the chairman designate, who is meeting all the different bodies involved and wants to feed his views into the legislation.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Is the Bill not yet ready to be published?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is ready but I am waiting for final consultations. We continue to meet all the timelines for the delivery of all the different projects for Dublin under Transport 21. I have consistently said that in the medium and long-term development of all transport in Dublin, including public transport, a body such as the Dublin transport authority is very important, but I want to make sure it is set up correctly. The chairman designate is considering the management, organisational structure, human resources needs and financial requirements of the proposed authority and is engaged with all the key stakeholders, which is very important.

We are making good progress on the delivery of transport services in Dublin and the Dublin transport authority will complement the process by playing a leading role.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister is talking gobbledegook. He has promised this for five years and is still only talking about feeding views into the legislation. His opportunities for legislation have passed. The incidence of chaos and gridlock in the city is increasing and special interests, who do not want a Dublin transportation authority but to maintain the status quo, have won out because the Government has always put special interests above the public interest, which is why the necessary legislation has not been introduced.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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To whom is the Deputy referring as "special interests"?

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Every body and organisation involved in transport — there are dozens of them.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Dublin Bus.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister is supposed to be in charge of setting up the body to look after the public interest, but that simply has not happened.