Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State. Perhaps he was very well qualified to answer the previous question - well, he probably was not - but the Minister should have stayed in the Chamber for the ten or 15 minutes it would have taken to address this matter. It was totally inappropriate-----

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Hear, hear. Absolutely.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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-----for him to slink out of here 15 minutes ago. This is an issue of huge interest to his constituency and this city. He does not have the courage to answer a question. It is a disgrace and it should be noted. We must do something about this when it comes to Topical Issue matters. The Minister was here for transport questions only a few minutes ago. There is no reason or excuse for his not having remained in the Chamber. This is particularly the case because he need not have been too afraid because I am supportive of the project. For once, I might actually agree with him on something.

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is probably at the High Court.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Tens of thousands of people will be nervous tonight that they may, if their houses are in the wrong place, lose their front gardens. This is not a small issue. It is not inconsequential. The Minister should have had the guts to come in and answer a few questions or to set out his thoughts on what is probably one of the most significant transport projects we face. I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State but his senior Minister has behaved despicably, to my mind, in walking out of the Chamber just before this question was to be asked.

I am supportive of this project because we need a radical solution to our transport problems in this city. We need what is set out in this plan to get a 50% cut in bus journey times rather than a 50% increase, which will happen if we do nothing. We need a radical approach to cycling. One of the concerns I was going to raise is that while I welcome the 200 km of cycle routes in the plan, I have real questions to ask about the practicality or the wisdom of, for example, taking cyclists out of Rathmines high street. The Minister of State may well be aware that many Kerry people know that area fairly well, having stayed in the flats along the road. The high street is our main cycling thoroughfare. Cycling is the dominant mode of transport there. We must look at this as we go into consultation.

I am concerned about what we did not get today. I would have preferred to see the orbital bus network, which I believe is due only next month, and the inner city new network review, which I understand is also due to be published next month. Perhaps, in hindsight, we should have done these together with what was announced today because there is a concern that by just concentrating on the radial routes we perhaps do not get the mesh effect, the network effect, that might overcome some of the concerns people have about changing to this system that they would lose local bus services. That is just one piece of advice I wanted to give the Minister and I wanted to know his thinking on it. I also wanted to ask him what sort of design office he will put in place. This is a massive, incredibly difficult, complex, vital and time-urgent project. Having worked in the past with the quality bus network project office on some of the design issues, my view is that it would be good to develop in-house resource expertise either in the NTA or in the local authorities. Even if we did so in the local authorities, we would have to do it in such a way that we could replicate this in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, where we will need to do something similar.

Perhaps the reply the Minister of State has been given contains some details on the final question I wanted to ask the Minister. The consultation on this is critical. I wish to give some comfort to people around the city who are terrified they will lose their front gardens. The first example we have seen of this project, the Fairview-to-city-centre route, which is part of the project, has gone through a process. In this case, the original design involved taking out every tree along the Fairview Park section of the route. For cyclists, it represented a very inferior scheme. However, through good consultation and engagement with stakeholders and local people, we have ended up with a good design. We have not had to take out those trees. Perhaps the same will be possible as we get into what is a critical project.

I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State but the Minister should really be here.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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I cannot speak for the Minister as to why he is not here. He has had a very busy day, including a Cabinet meeting this morning. We have just had over an hour and a half of parliamentary questions and he will be present again later for the taking of legislation. I apologise on his behalf. I will try to answer as many questions as I can for Deputy Eamon Ryan, give him the detailed written response I have and pass on his concerns and further queries to the Minister.

Everyone recognises that traffic levels have grown steadily since the economy began to recover and congestion is now one of the most significant challenges to the sustainability of Ireland's growth performance. On the busiest routes, bus lanes are only in place for less than one third of the corridor. This means that for most of the journey, buses are competing for space with general traffic and are affected by the increasing levels of congestion. In the capital, for example, approximately 70% of people travelling into the city each morning do so by sustainable transport. The bus system is important because each day the majority, 57% of all public transport trips, use the bus system for the journey. Buses are, therefore, the main component of the solution to address the current congestion problem and to meet future transport needs. As those numbers grow, and as congestion worsens, it is becoming increasingly difficult to operate a reliable bus system with sufficient capacity to cater for the needs of the region. The NTA published a discussion document earlier today outlining the core bus corridor project that is part of a wider BusConnects programme for Ireland's cities, starting in Dublin and rolling out to Galway, Cork and Ireland's remaining cities. The NTA's document focuses on the 230 km of continuous bus priority across 16 core bus routes expected to achieve up to 50% on current journey time savings. It also focuses on the more than 200 km of cycle tracks and lanes and pedestrian facilities that are emerging as the likely core bus corridors in and out of Dublin city under this new investment programme. These proposals will revolutionise traffic in the city of Dublin and on its outskirts. They take into consideration the current congestion situation and the challenges and opportunities that Dublin will face over the coming decades while setting out some of the key impacts, issues and challenges that relate to the 16 corridors. The document also sets out mitigations to these challenges, including compensation, as appropriate.

In response to one of the key questions Deputy Eamon Ryan asked, following today's launch by the NTA of a discussion document focusing on 16 core bus routes, the NTA will conduct a public consultation on the redesign of Dublin's bus network, including proposals on a major redesign of routes, schedules and fare structures. This is expected in July. Later this year, the NTA plans to hold a public consultation on the emerging proposals for the 16 core bus corridors, expected in September or October. This is to ensure that the public is fully informed by the NTA about the BusConnects programme as it progresses and will have the opportunity to have an input at various stages into its development.

There is a clear need to expand attractive public transport alternatives to car transport to reduce congestion and emissions and enable the transport sector to cater for the demands associated with longer-term population and employment growth in a sustainable manner. This is why the major flagship investments to be delivered within Project Ireland 2040 and the ten-year national development plan, such as BusConnects and projects like MetroLink, DART expansion, expanded Luas services and cycling and walking infrastructure, are needed to ease congestion, lower carbon output and add greatly to the quality and standard of our transport system.

Again, if there are specifics that have not been answered by this response, I would be happy to take them back to the Minister for Deputy Eamon Ryan. Specifically regarding public consultation, we will see the start of that next month and further stages of that process in September and October. I hope that is of some benefit to the people who are concerned tonight about this process.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I very much welcome that and we will try to play a positive role. This will take huge resources. The level of public consultation in itself, and the level of design, detail and engineering expertise we need, is not insignificant.

In order to kill two birds with one stone, I ask that Transport Infrastructure Ireland stop the work that it is doing on widening the N7 on the approach to Dublin and the widening of the N2, N3 and N11. While we are trying to make the city work and not get into gridlock, Transport Infrastructure Ireland is turning the tap on to allow yet more traffic into it and is using some of our best engineers in order to do it. I would switch them around and get them involved on this project because it should have priority. If we do not get it right and do so quickly, Dublin will grind to a halt.

We should give people hope that we may be able to do it without always turning to a four-lane solution that seems to be the standard design here. In fact, once the two car lanes and two bus lanes have pavements and cycle lanes added, there effectively are six lanes. There are places which have used a bus gate system and traffic light regulation to ensure that buses get priority and their speeds are increased but that do not maintain and 12 or 15 m carriageway width.

Earlier, I listened to the Minister answering questions and he recognised that this project should be and is just as much about promoting cycling as it is about promoting bus networks, as much as possible. Everything that we have learned, and the best international design advice on cycling infrastructure is clear that at all costs one should try to provide straight, continuous routes. In so many routes, when it comes to the crunch, the cyclist is removed. They are put into other wayward alternatives. The detail is not there but from the broad approach, and knowing the areas as I do, I am concerned we will lose that capacity.

I suggest that the resources from widening the M50 on the approach to Dublin be diverted to this project. Bus gate solutions should be examined rather than just six-carriageway width solutions and cyclists should be given priority at all times.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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I will pass the Deputy's sentiments on to the Minister. As far as cycling is concerned, I have often been stuck in gridlock in this city but I have not attempted to get on a bike here. I will be doing the Ring of Kerry cycle in a few weeks but that is less of a challenge. I can assure the Deputy, I would rather go up Coomakista or Moll's Gap any day than try and cycle around Dublin city. However, within the BusConnects plan, there is a plan to upgrade and enhance more than 200 km of cycling route. It has a huge role to play in the future of Dublin's transportation network.

I had the pleasure of being in Copenhagen last autumn. Over a few hours, it was incredible to see the level of cycling in the city centre and how it completely transforms the whole ambience of the city centre as well as providing a very effective means of transport for all the family. Dublin can learn much from it.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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An bhfuil an tAire Stáit ag déileáil leis an gcéad ábhar eile, in ainm na Teachtaí Ó Cuív, Naughton agus Connolly?

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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Tá mé ag fanacht anseo.