Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I do not understand why incentive schemes have not been put in place to encourage private individuals to provide such services. The Government will have to step in if the private sector continues to fail to get involved. It is an outrage that there are no park and ride facilities in north or west Dublin.

The national development plan contained a commitment to the provision of 250 additional buses, but just 93 have been delivered. I cannot see how the Minister will make up the difference before the Government's term ends in 2006. I ask him to examine this matter. Buses can be provided much more cheaply than Luas lines or other railway systems. If the Government delivers the promised number of additional buses by increasing the number from 93 to 250 as it promised in the national development plan, it will have the necessary impact.

It grieves me that the Dublin Port tunnel project has taken so long and that the costs involved have increased by tens of millions since it was first promised. It seems that the tunnel will not be completed before the end of 2005. I left Castleknock at 7.30 a.m. one day last week when I had to travel to Dublin Port. After I had been to the dock, I travelled back to Castleknock but did not arrive until 10.15 a.m. It took me two hours and 45 minutes to make the entire journey on an ordinary morning. I was shocked to see that many trucks, which are doing great damage to the environment of Dublin, were stuck in traffic coming out of the port. The cost over-runs and delays associated with the provision of this infrastructure are damaging the city's commercial life and tourism.

I welcome many developments, but much still needs to be done. I hope that under the new Minister matters will move forward far more quickly.