Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

The DART came on stream about 15 years ago but it took years for it to get off the ground. I do not blame the Opposition for that. It was not its fault that it could not get it off the ground when in Government. It is not our fault when things go wrong because we have problems getting things off the ground. I welcome the Taoiseach's proposal to establish a national infrastructure board which will consider the common good when trying to progress matters in relation to the national infrastructure, including the roads network. This is long overdue.

The M50 is a great success. As Senator Terry knows, it used to be called the ring road. It is almost completed and has reached Dundrum. The next stage is being held up but when it is completed, it will link up with the N11 and the airport road. It was a superb achievement to get it off the ground. Nobody anticipated that the Celtic tiger would roar to the extent that there are four or five cars to each household. We all know young people use their cars rather than buses. We have the problem of incorporating thinking on public transport as well as introducing a link between public and private modes of transport, which has to come into play.

We also have to make sure that the links in the outer suburban areas work. We have got that very wrong in the bus network outside the greater Dublin area. That is not working and I do not know why. I am always fighting for that, locally, in an effort to get a network of buses east to west. That is not working, but I do not know where it is falling down.