Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In terms of Senator Ardagh's contribution on the Order of Business, it is important to point out that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is carrying out a review, to be submitted to Cabinet, on infrastructural development in Dublin. Hopefully we will see the development of the metro north rail link from the airport to Dublin city centre soon. As Members know, the Government has committed an extra €2.6 billion to the capital investment programme, on top of the €27 billion direct Exchequer funding and the €15 billion from other sources. It is important to welcome that.

Senator Murnane O'Connor made reference to the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney, in the context of the national planning framework. The Minister is currently engaged in the development of a new framework and it is important that we give credit to the Minister who always engages and actively seeks opinion. It is extraordinary to consider that only five years ago there was no gridlock in our capital city and there were no cranes on the skyline. It is to the credit of the last Government and the current one that we have turned our economy around. I am sure everyone welcomes the fact that there are more people at work and more investment is taking place.