John Ellis (Fianna Fail)

I wish to raise the matter of the electoral register, which is of interest to all politicians, irrespective of the level at which they serve. Applications to be added to the voters' register must be made by 24 November. I ask that a concerted effort be made by third level institutions to ensure that their students are registered. In the past students have been reluctant to register, either at college or at home, and in view of the number of young people who became involved in the American election it would be an opportunity for young people here to become involved in politics, particularly in terms of voting in the local elections next year.

Is there a possibility of having a debate on transport and the way we proceed in the future with the development of our transport infrastructure? If we do not continue to develop our infrastructure — road, rail, air and all the other transport needs, we could see it go back into decline. We are all aware that the consequences of that after an economic upturn, which we all hope will come sooner rather than later, could have a devastating effect, especially on rural areas and the west in particular, which still has a major transport infrastructure deficit.