Ciarán Cannon (Fine Gael)

I would like a debate on our vision for public transport in this country, and how it dovetails with our national spatial strategy, which is in urgent need of radical re-assessment. We have learned in the last few weeks that if credible and convenient public transport alternatives are provided, the people will change the habits of a lifetime. A statement yesterday on the Dublin bikes scheme claimed that there have been 500,000 journeys made under the scheme, which is six times the rate of use in any other city where the scheme is in existence, such as Vienna, Lyon, Paris, Seville and Brussels. It was predicted that we would have 1,500 users in the first year, but we now have 30,000 users.

The opening of the western rail corridor has also proved the point that when people are provided with a credible public transport alternative, they will avail of it. That service is now predicted to carry almost 400,000 people in its first year of operation. Iarnród Éireann is now conceding that this will work and a recent company statement claimed it was clear that the support from the community for the re-opening of the line is translating into real passenger demand. I remember the phrase from that 1980s Paul Newman movie, "The Field of Dreams", "If you build it, they will come". It seems that people will change the habits of a lifetime.

If we are genuine about proper spatial strategy and regional development, we need to reassess urgently how we will address the out of control population growth on the eastern seaboard, and begin to offer people an effective counterpoint on the western seaboard. In doing so, we need to look at the remaining length of track north of the western rail corridor, perhaps up to Derry in cross-Border co-operation. We need to provide a western rail corridor from Derry to Limerick, with a spur to Shannon Airport. We urgently need to underpin the development of Shannon, because if we do not do so, it is in danger of dying.

I would like to have this debate on public transport fairly quickly, and I am sure my Green Party colleagues would support my call.