Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

I join Senators O'Toole and Ulick Burke in calling for a second debate on transport outside Dublin in particular. It is critically important in light of the Government policy on balanced regional development that we have a full discussion in this House on all aspects of transportation infrastructure outside the capital. Great deficiencies exist, particularly on the western rail corridor and down to County Clare where the problems affect us with regard to the Shannon rail link. That has been proposed for some time and is vital for the future development of Shannon Airport together with the road infrastructure right across the west of Ireland, in terms of creating a balance with Dublin. The only way to deal with the growing congestion in Dublin city is to create somewhere else for people to live and work.