Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State knows very well that he is standing in for the Minister, Deputy Ryan. Any Minister who comes in here to reply to any Commencement matter is speaking on behalf of the Minister that they represent.

It is unfortunate and I would like the clock to be reset, please.

What the Minister of State has provided me with here from the NTA is supposed to be the rural Ireland Connecting Ireland mobility plan. Maybe we should have somebody from the NTA in here talking to us about the four trains that went past me in Raheny. Maybe we should move the whole population of Ireland into Dublin. Maybe that would be the easiest thing to do. If we moved them all from the west of Ireland, maybe it would all be sorted. According to this, it is okay for people only to have a coach service every two hours. Somebody living in the middle of Dublin city centre can have four trains pass by with another three or four buses outside the train station and yet in the likes of Ballinasloe or Athlone people, cannot get to the hospital. I did not speak about TUS or the university. I did not speak about students trying to get to college or to work. This is not fit for purpose. This plan must be reviewed. The Government cannot stand over it. It is very clear there is no balanced regional development here.