John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

One could never be hard enough on Senator Bannon. It is worth putting on the record just what has happened on road, water and sewerage infrastructure. Some €36.3 billion has been set aside for major capital investments up to 2009. In 2006, capital spending will top €6.6 billion, three times the 1997 level. In 2006, €1.6 billion will be invested in major roads programmes. In 1997, only €294 million was invested in national roads by the Fine Gael, Labour Party and Democratic Left Government.

Some €4.4 billion has been invested in water and sewerage facilities between 2002 and 2006 and the results are there for everybody to see. Since 1997, some 185 km of new motorway, including 66 km in 2005 alone, and 385 km of new dual-carriageway and single carriageway have been built. The M50 C-ring has been completed. There is 155 km of motorway from Rathnew to Dundalk. The Luas is up and running, the DART has been upgraded and rail systems have been revamped.

Dublin is one of the few capital cities in Europe that has blue flag beach status and people can swim in the River Lee in Cork for the first time in 50 years. Whereas in 1997 less than 20% of waste water met EU waste water directive standards, in 2004, 90% of waste water met EU standards. There has been considerable progress and the same is true of public transport.

There has been much concentration on the environmental downsides of major infrastructural projects but there is a major environmental upside, which has to do with fossil fuels. If people could travel more quickly, efficiently and safely to work, both they and the environment will benefit.

I am glad the legislation addresses the installation of overground aqueducts with a diameter of in excess of 1,000 millimetres and which are in excess of 500 m in length. While 500 m is not long, I still look forward to the proposed pipeline between the River Shannon and Dublin, which will bring drinking water to the city and save all the poor fish trying to live in the little water remaining in the River Liffey after it has all been taken out at Ballymore Eustace.