Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

Last week, the CSO published figures for relative incomes per county and region. This information dispelled the myth of the rich south-east. The figure for relative incomes in County Carlow was below those for many, if not all, of the counties in the BMW region. I ask the Leader to make time available for a debate on this issue in order that we might rectify the disparity that exists in terms of relative incomes throughout the country. Perhaps we might address that imbalance when the next round of talks on Objective One status and EU funding takes place.

I also ask that if the Minister for Transport comes before the House, we be allowed to raise the issue of proper planning in the area of transport. It is proposed to add a new lane to the M50. This work will commence long before it should because those who planned the original motorway and thought it would last a long time were proven totally wrong. We are informed that adding a new lane to the M50 will allow it to last for another 15 years. Unfortunately, the credibility of these planners is at risk. We should debate this matter in order to discover the identities of these experts and the level of accuracy they have achieved in terms of forward planning. Are we making adequate plans for the future or, even with an extended M50, will we be faced with another fiasco in five or ten years?