Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

At least the commitment has been made. I remind the House that Deputy Quinn's 1997 budget, his last as Minister for Finance, did not provide a penny of Exchequer money for rail investment.

Road improvements, such as the N17 and N18, are important. The Ennis bypass provides a connection to the region and other improvements made outside the region will also bring benefits. I recently attended the sod turning ceremony for the Mitchelstown-Cahir-Cashel bypass, although work on the project had commenced three months earlier. Tremendous progress is being made throughout the country on roads projects. However, economics cannot be entirely thrown out of the window because consideration must be given to demand and population density when roads are being improved and modernised.

The Leader noted that the midlands are well represented in the national spatial strategy, with Tullamore, Athlone and Mullingar being mentioned. Given that the strategy will be an important component of the next national development plan, I regard this with a little bit of envy because County Tipperary did not receive the same attention. Nevertheless, we lie on the line between Limerick and Waterford.

Decentralisation, which is badly needed, will make a contribution to the BMW region. Members of the Opposition should be careful to avoid doing damage by damning the entire programme. They pay lip-service to decentralisation but their denunciations are much louder than their praise. The Irish Times, which is one of the fiercest critics of decentralisation, pointed out in a supplement that Dublin's weight in Ireland is greater than Paris's weight in France. We have to address that issue and, while the decentralisation programme may not be perfect, I urge the Opposition not to throw out the baby with the bath water.