Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

This morning we woke up to news on "Morning Ireland" of possible changes to the MetroLink. They may be welcome, as they are for those GAA clubs which were to be inconvenienced temporarily, even if that temporary inconvenience was to last six years. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to come to the House to explain what precisely is going on in respect of transport in the city of Dublin. We are constantly waking up to announcements from Fine Gael backbenchers in respect of BusConnects and the MetroLink, but we do not hear a word from the Minister.

In case the Minister is not aware, the proposal on the southside is to erect a Berlin Wall-like structure right across the southside running from Ranelagh to Milltown, yet we have not heard a word from the National Transport Authority in this regard. We have seen how the Minister for Finance lobbied for changes on the northside, as did the Taoiseach. Outside of the public consultation period, we are now hearing news that there will be changes on the northside. That may be very welcome for the people of the northside but what is proposed for the southside is a permanent structure. It involves the demolition of homes and houses and erecting a barrier between communities, yet the residents of that area have had no opportunity to make submissions to the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport, as was allowed for those on the northside. We have had silence from Deputy Eoghan Murphy with respect to this issue and how it affects Dublin Bay South, especially the Ranelagh area.

There is an onus on the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to outline his plans - not the plans of Fine Gael, Deputy Noel Rock or Deputy Paschal Donohoe - for proper infrastructure for this city. Are we making it up on the back of an envelope again?