Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

Six years ago, in November 1999, the National Development Plan 2000-2006 indicated unprecedented investment in rail and roads. Six years ago, dual carriageways or motorways from Dublin to Galway, Cork, Waterford and Limerick were promised as well as unprecedented development in rail. Rail lines from Navan to Dublin and from Midleton to Cork were also promised. Is the transport announcement not rehashing these issues? The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, displayed notices in Navan stating "Dempsey delivers". Dempsey delivers six years late, in a manner similar to Deputy Parlon in Laois-Offaly in respect of decentralisation.

What has happened to decentralisation? It is a myth in many areas and many of the areas earmarked in the transport plan have been rehashed. The Government has put a jigsaw puzzle together on this occasion.