Derek McDowell (Labour)

I was interested in the comments of Senator Norris to the effect that, unlike the Opposition parties, he did not condemn Transport 21. Nor do we. I certainly have not condemned it, nor was I aware that my party had. The problem is not the content or any lack of specifics, because, as Senator Ormonde rightly said, there are specifics. The problem is we have heard it all before, not once or twice but many times since this Government came into power in 1997.

This morning I read a speech that the then Minister for Public Enterprise, now Leader of the House, Senator O'Rourke, made on 4 March 1999, the better part of seven years ago. I will not take it out of context but will list the six or seven points she made, in the order that she made them. She said the Government was looking at a possible inland rail link to Navan, the possible separation of long distance and commuter rail traffic through the construction of bypass rail lines, a new rail link from Belfast through Swords and Dublin Airport, a new rail loop east of the current loop line in Dublin, quadrupling existing double lines where feasible, the enhancement of rail services in a series of towns, which she listed, and more sophisticated signalling technology to increase track capacity.

Of those seven initiatives, two appear to have been ditched, because they have not happened, and the remaining five are repeated in Transport 21. Senator O'Rourke, who was Minister for Public Enterprise at the time, contemplated those options fully seven years ago, virtually the full term of this Government. It is truly remarkable that so little has happened in the intervening period.

I will deal with a few of the issues on which Senator Ormonde touched. The national development plan stated in 2000 that the four main priority roads would be completed by the end of the plan in 2006. We were told by the then Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, in December 2003 that he was determined, as was the Government, that they would be completed by the end of 2007. Transport 21 states they will be completed in 2010. In fairness, the timetable had already begun to shift when the NRA stated they would be only substantially completed by 2007, which then became 2008 and 2009 and is now 2010.

I acknowledge there were problems with capacity in the late 1990s. The construction industry was not up to speed and was not accustomed to dealing with the scale of budget suddenly available to it. The Department of Transport and the NRA did not have the capacity or experience, so many projects slipped in terms of timing and budget. That is no longer the case because when builders arrive on site things now move very satisfactorily. As the Minister indicated, the Loughrea bypass was opened ahead of schedule and the Kilcock-Kinnegad stretch of motorway, as well as others, will also be ahead of schedule.

While these projects are completed on budget and ahead of schedule not much is happening with regard to the main four main pivotal routes. Some projects are under way but there are not many. Many are at planning stage, at the stage of land acquisition or at the drawing board. It means there will be a hiatus on the ground for a year or two.