James Bannon (Fine Gael)

They have heard it all before. The Minister of State's ten year projection was nothing more than a figment of his imagination and a promise waiting to be broken. We have had evidence of this time and again since the last general election.

Infrastructure and transport issues are top of the list in rural and urban areas. While proportionately southern and eastern regions have been the winners in funding in these areas, issues such as a second terminal at Dublin Airport, a metro service for the north side of Dublin — the reasons for the provision of which we are all aware — and road construction have come to the fore once again due to the Minister of State's pronouncement, but for some local transport is a continual burning issue.

The Minister of State referred to the rural transport initiative. There is a major shortage of funds for its implementation across the country. The budgets in local authority areas will run out by September to October of this year. That is a fact in respect of which I have evidence in my county.