Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I will tell the Senator what I am happy with. He talked about an orbital ring road, with which I will deal later. In terms of the practice of road building in the early part of this decade, the cost of the initial road programme in 1998 increased from €5.8 billion to €18 billion. I am glad that those mistakes are not being repeated with Transport 21. It is important that we get our sums right in our transport plans.

I must admit I am disappointed that road projects are being done first and public transport projects will be done subsequently. I am also disappointed that the public transport projects that have been started are falling behind the time set for their completion whereas road projects are not. If Transport 21 is to be effective, those are balances that we must get right.

I do not accept the arguments about rail freight. Ireland is a small country but so are countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands which have a better balance than do we between goods transported by road and goods by rail. The ratio in Ireland is 96% and increasing for road transport and 4% and decreasing for rail. The European average is 87% and 14%, respectively. If that balance is achieved in countries that are smaller than ours, I must ask why.

I would like the delay in work on the Cork-Midleton line and on the western rail corridor to be overcome. I would also like rail corridor extended from Cork to Sligo, as it is only envisaged it will run from Limerick to Sligo. One cannot travel by rail directly from Cork to Limerick but must change at Limerick Junction, even though there is a traditional line from Charleville through Patrickswell to Limerick city. These are existing options that we should be reconsidering.

The programme for Government refers to the need to have public transport choices in cities other than Dublin. I am glad there are studies under way in Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway and what they bring forward must be acted upon within the lifetime of Transport 21 and begun within the lifetime of the Government.

I will put an even more emphatic statement on the record. If new public transport initiatives do not happen while my party is in Government, then there is no point in my party being in Government. That must be clearly stated. We exist to get a better balance in transport. I recognise all that is valuable in Transport 21. I want to see its full implementation but for it to be done consistently. I also want to ensure that those who do not have access to private motor car transport, who number between one fifth and one quarter of all households, are better dealt with in this country because we still have, if one can pardon the pun, a very long road to travel in this regard.