James Bannon (Fine Gael)

On the Order of Business, I support the call for a debate on the transport system and reiterate my request for one, which I made last week. The system is in chaos, of which we have evidence this week. Not alone has Senator Ulick Burke received letters but most Senators and other Oireachtas Members have received similar letters from CIE on the transport issue.

On another issue, I call for a debate on the underfunding within the BMW region. I understand that only 57% of the funding allocated under the national development plan for the region for the period 2000 to 2006 has been spent. This is due to bureaucracy and red tape introduced by the Government. There is a major underspending of this funding in the BMW region. At the time of the mid-term review I called for a debate on this issue. Such funding was intended to promote growth and infrastructural development in the region in terms of roads, transport, tourism and rural development, but all those projects in the BMW region are lagging behind simliar projects in the rest of the country. I want equality introduced in the development throughout the country.