Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

On behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey, and on my own part, I thank the Senators for their contributions which I understand have been very constructive all along. I was not here to witness all their efforts but I know the commitment involved, particularly on the Opposition side, in going through a detailed Bill such as this. I thank them for their efforts. I am sorry that we were not able to accept more amendments but I understand that in the earlier part of the process, some of the points made on Committee Stage gave food for thought and some amendments were taken on board.

We have been talking at different political levels about the need for a Dublin Transport Authority for a number of years and I am sure that all are glad to see it finally established. It is to be hoped that it will do the work required and that some of the fears which people might have had will not come back to haunt us. I thank the Senators for their commitment and co-operation.