Results 8,281-8,300 of 26,185 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: Second-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: I have very limited time.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: I know all that. I have very specific questions. In the original plan for the roll-out of the NBP, no priority was given to the gap intervention areas. It is the biggest issue on the ground for us. People look out from their back gardens and out their front doors and see their neighbours with fibre broadband and they do not have it because the commercial operator did not roll it out. NBI...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: I will move on. I wish to follow up on the M20. The Minister has put out a figure of €3 billion for the cost of the M20. Can he explain to me where you got that figure?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: We had representatives of TII in before us to respond to the review of the NDP. They said there were two categories: less than €1 billion and between €1 billion and €3 billion. I am asking how much the project will cost. The Minister has put it out there on numerous occasions that it would cost €3 billion. Is that the case?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: It is 90 km long. Even at the very outside, it will cost approximately €10 million per kilometre. That is about €1 billion at most. How can you go from €1 billion to €3 billion?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: I have made the same inquiries and I am told the cost could go up to maybe €15 million per kilometre, which is about €1.3 billion or €1.4 billion in total, nowhere near the Minister's figure of €3 billion.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: I contend that this is incorrect. I believe that the motorway could cost, at the outside, €10 million per kilometre, which would come in at €900 million in total. If the cost per kilometre went up to even €15 million, the total cost would be in the order of €1.3 billion or €1.4 billion. We might engage with the Department on the figures because we can...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: A virgin rail track would cost approximately €1 billion.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: Higher than what?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: Yes, but, with due respect, it is nowhere near the Minister's figure of €3 billion.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: Even if it costs €100 million, it is value for money, as far as I am concerned.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: If the Minister is using the €3 billion figure, he must substantiate it. I have looked at the figures-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: With due respect, the figures are out there. It will cost, at the most, €10 million per kilometre. That is €900 million.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: Even with inflation, it might cost €15 million per kilometre, which would be €1.3 billion or €1.4 billion in total. That is way short of the Minister's figure of €3 billion. Finally, he spoke about not prejudicing the outcomes of projects. TII is doing the M20 and the NTA is doing the Limerick metropolitan area transport strategy, LMATS. He mentioned the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: But the Minister has not spoken about electric cars today. I would like to see the roll-out of electric cars expedited.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: I accept all that, but motorways are required. We must be serious about balanced regional development. Some 42%, or 38 km, of the existing M20 has no hard shoulder. I have driven that route countless times and, I am sorry but it is a dangerous route. There are a significant number of fatalities on the route. There are other issues. I ask that TII and the NTA be allowed to continue with...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: The difference is that I do not believe motorways, rail and roads are mutually exclusive. The Minister spoke about roads. Roads are about public transport as well. For whatever reason, the Minister's view appears to be a binary one.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: I will come back-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)
Kieran O'Donnell: There are moments in time where, when we do not grab an issue, such as the M20, the moment passes by and regions are left at a major loss relative to Dublin and the eastern region. We are entitled to our fair share.