Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I was so inspired listening to the debate in my office that I had to make a contribution. I want to make four brief points. Senator Ulick Burke referred to the NRA and the composition of that body. The NRA was established by a former Deputy, Pádraig Flynn, when he was Minister for the Environment. I was opposed to it then and I am opposed to it now. It is an unaccountable quango. There is cross-party consensus that it is unaccountable to anyone, including to this House and the Minister. We should have a Minister whose sole task is to build the roads and who would be accountable to the Houses. We are talking about a country with a population no greater than the greater Manchester area. A Minister should take responsibility from the NRA altogether and vest it in himself or herself. He or she should then go ahead and build the new road infrastructure that is needed under the national development plan. There is widespread political questioning of the NRA and it should be wound down. It is one quango too much. I live in the western suburbs, which includes Carrickmines, and there is a great deal of frustration in those communities. I listened to Senator Ross, who lives right beside the site.

It is very difficult to speak——