John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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I move:

That Seanad Éireann commends the Government on its commitment to transport investment under Transport 21.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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We are now in the third year of Transport 21 and I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the progress made and to assure Senators that the Government remains committed to delivering the programme in full. Transport 21 is a huge undertaking. It is the first time a Government in this country has agreed a ten-year financial framework for any sector of our economy and the first time a capital investment commitment of €34 billion has been made, an unprecedented level of investment.

This level of funding is required. For many years, up to the mid-1990s, our economy could not generate the level of funding necessary to improve and upgrade our transport infrastructure and, therefore, we were left with a poor road network and a public transport system that could not meet the demands placed on it. It is only in recent years that we have had the internal financial resources to address these investment needs. The excellent results of that investment are becoming increasingly clear, especially on our much improved national roads, our renewed railway system and in new areas such as the Luas. We will build on these improvements over the coming years and create a world class transport system to meet the needs of our economy and society.

We are addressing two major challenges: dealing with the effects of past under-investment and meeting the growth in demand arising from our unprecedented economic success and population growth. Transport 21 identifies and prioritises the projects that will be completed in the ten-year period to 2015. There will be more to do after that period and in the programme for Government we have committed to preparing a follow-on investment programme to Transport 21.

The progress being made under Transport 21 is impressive. Many major projects, particularly on the national road network, are being completed on time and within budget. Construction is under way on many important projects, especially on the major inter-urban motorways and the railway, while others are at the statutory approval stage, design and planning stage or public consultation.

Regarding national roads, the main emphasis is on completing the five major inter-urban roads from Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and the Border and on the development of the Atlantic road corridor from Letterkenny through Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork to Waterford. The evidence of the progress made on the inter-urban roads is there for all to see. The motorway to the Border is now complete and open to traffic and anybody who has travelled the other routes in recent times will testify to the enormous progress being made. At this stage, more than 85% of the major inter-urban road network is either open to traffic or under construction. All the remaining projects are through the statutory approvals process and we are on target to complete the five major inter-urban roads in 2010. At the end of 2010 that network will comprise more than 730 km of motorway and dual carriageway.

We sometimes forget the progress made over the past decade. As recently as 1990, we had only 26 km of motorway and a decade ago we still had fewer than 100 km. Perhaps the most pleasing recent development is that most of the road schemes are now coming in ahead of schedule and under budget. In early 2007 an acceleration of the funding provision of some of the major elements of the Atlantic corridor was announced. Construction will now commence on the N18 Ennis to Galway route in early 2008, three years ahead of when originally planned.

The upgrade of the M50 is also included in the Transport 21 programme. The upgrade is being done in three phases, the first two of which will open this year and the remaining phase in 2010. This year will also see the introduction of barrier free tolling on the M50, and road users, both commercial and otherwise, will see significant benefits when this is complete.

Significant progress has also been made on public transport since the launch of Transport 21. We have also seen tangible evidence of progress locally. Already, a new rail station has opened in the Dublin docklands. This was ahead of schedule and under budget and is delivering an additional 12 services each way per day on the busy Maynooth suburban line. Some 67 new rail carriages were introduced on the Dublin-Cork rail route at the start of 2007 and hourly services are now provided. The response of users has been very encouraging; total passenger journeys in 2007 were 14% higher than in 2006.

New railcars have already entered service on the Dublin-Sligo, Dublin-Westport and Dublin-Limerick lines and more are being introduced gradually on other inter-city routes. A total of 183 railcars will go into service, transforming the quality of service on the inter-city network. These improved services are being delivered on a renewed railway infrastructure. Over the past decade, since the approval of the first railway safety programme in 1999, we have renewed track, signalling and structures across the network in the biggest investment programme since the railways were built at the end of the 19th century.

Construction work has begun on a number of projects. These include Cherrywood and docklands Luas extensions and the four-tracking of the Kildare line. These will have a critical role to play in improving public transport in the capital city and in opening up lands for residential and commercial development. Work has also commenced on two flagship regional development projects, namely, the reopening of the Midleton rail line and the western rail corridor.

The coming years will see a further escalation in the number of rail projects. A railway order application was recently approved by An Bord Pleanála for the first phase of the Navan line on which construction work will begin later this year. Planning in respect of the rail interconnector from Heuston Station to the Northern line is well advanced with public consultation taking place on station and alignment options.

Important steps have also been taken on metro north, the metro line from the city centre to Swords via Dublin Airport. The RPA has selected the preferred route and is working hard on the preparatory document for a railway order application and is in pre-application discussions with An Bord Pleanála. It has commenced the PPP procurement process and prequalified companies were recently invited to submit tenders in respect of the project.

Last year, the RPA announced the emerging preferred route corridor for metro west. It is currently undertaking further public consultation with key stakeholders and the public in order to define the exact alignment of the metro west route, its stops, park and ride facilities and depot.

Since the beginning of 2006 a total of €60 million has been allocated to Dublin Bus towards the purchase of 100 additional and 200 replacement buses. This has enabled Dublin Bus to increase the frequency of its services to areas such as Tallaght, Cherrywood and Tyrrellstown, north of Blanchardstown. New developing areas and existing and new quality bus corridors have also benefited from increased services. The replacement buses have ensured the quality of the bus fleet is maintained at a high level and therefore attractive to the travelling public.

During the same period a total of €73 million was allocated to Bus Éireann for the purchase of 235 new buses. More than 110 of these have been delivered with the balance due for delivery by the end of this year. In addition to replacing life expired fleet these new buses have enabled Bus Éireann to launch new services in Cork and between Dublin and Navan.

I am satisfied with the progress made to date under Transport 21. The ten-year programme is on target to deliver the projects identified. The Minister and I will continue to ensure that every effort is made to complete projects in the shortest possible timeframe. The country needs this infrastructure and needs it quickly.

Transport 21 is not just about building new roads or public transport infrastructure. It is about improving the quality of life of our citizens and reducing commuter and travel times. When completed, Transport 21 will transform travel for everyone in Ireland. The country will become a better place in which to work, live, visit and invest.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I second the motion and reserve my right to speak later.

Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)
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I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following:

"notes with dissatisfaction that:

the Government's public transport investment programme continues to suffer from completion delays and budget over-runs;

the continued congestion due to delays in providing an integrated and reliable public transport system is leading to damages to Irish business and social cohesion;

the Government will waste €2.9 million on an advertising campaign to promote Transport 21 in 2008 and will continue to spend taxpayers' money to promote a building programme until 2015;

the Government's unwillingness to set new targets for the delivery of key Transport 21 targets;

the Government's inability to deliver integrated ticketing and more buses for the Dublin region; and

the failure of the Government to deliver plans to maintain and support Irish rail life.".

I am pleased to move this amendment on behalf of my party.

The motto adopted by Transport 21 in the advertising and public relations campaign currently underway is, "Progress in Motion". While in fairness there has been progress in motion in respect of some parts of the Transport 21 package, progress in respect of many elements of it have been in slow motion with no apparent motion at all in respect of others.

I will first identify from where we have come in terms of the delivery of the Transport 21 programme, second, point to where we now are and, third, set out where we need to go to with this vital project. Yesterday afternoon we spent much time discussing the collapse of the public private partnership process in respect of housing projects in Dublin.

What is happening in respect of Transport 21 is also important in terms of the vast amount of taxpayers' money, almost €35 billion in total, already committed or spent. In far too many cases projects that will make an enormous difference to communities and parts of our country are running over time or are not happening at all. Let us look at the statements made by the Government parties when Transport 21 was announced. The former Taoiseach declared that his ambition and plan was to build a world-class transport system for the 21st century and to do so on time and within budget. The former Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, stated at that time that he expected all agencies to deliver the programme in full, on time and within budget. The main elements of those two statements were that projects be delivered on time and within budget.

A number of years into this project it is clear that too many critical infrastructure projects are not being delivered on time or within budget. Soon after the package was announced, warning sounds were made. One institute quoted in a different context during the past week, the ESRI, had many things to say following its announcement. It made the point, which if appropriate then is even more so now, that while the overall cost of the plan is €34.4 billion the individual costing of each project is not apparent to Members of the Oireachtas or the public. It also made the point that in many cases no alternatives were published or compared in respect of the billions of euro of taxpayers money being spent.

The ESRI further made the point, which carries more weight now, that there has been under-investment in the mode of transport, namely buses, which are so important to many people in Dublin and the greater Dublin area and that the hard decisions in respect of new bus routes have not been recognised or acted upon. It is of great concern to note that many of the crucial projects, about which my colleagues will speak later, that will make an enormous difference to the people we represent have been delayed. I will provide a number of examples in this regard, all of which are taken from the last annual report produced by the Transport 21 team from the Department of Transport.

None of the five key Transport 21 projects due to be completed in 2008 will be delivered on time despite the Government having committed almost €8 billion of taxpayers' money in this regard. The figure signature projects that are meant to be up and running, carrying commuters and making a difference to our economy and society will not be delivered on time. The greatest example we have of the lack of integration in terms of how taxpayers' money is being spent is the joining up of the two Luas lines in Dublin. While this project was to take place this year we now know that this will not be the case.

Many of my colleagues will give examples later of the situation in respect of projects outside Dublin whereas I am more familiar with projects in Dublin. The Cork-Midleton rail service which was meant to be operational by 2008 will not now be delivered. The cost of all of these delays is apparent to our business, our community and our environment. The Dublin Chamber of Commerce estimates that the cost of non-delivery of these projects is approximately €2.5 billion per annum. We also know that the private transport system in Dublin is responsible for almost one-third of all carbon emissions. The cost of the Government's inability to deliver important projects is enormous to our environment and our economy.

I have no doubt that if the Acting Chairman were sitting on the opposite side of the House and were about to speak on this issue he would accuse me of a dereliction of duty in not pointing out what we would do differently.

Dan Boyle (Green Party)
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Not in the Chair.

Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)
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I am clear on what we would do differently in some areas. I have many ideas but will conclude by providing only three. All 26 glorious pages of the annual report produced by the Department of Transport to update the public on progress in respect of Transport 21 continually sets out the success of the project. Let us have some realism in these reports and let us note that not everything is happening in the way that it should. It is crucial for us to have a detailed, costed implementation plan published regarding the prioritised projects in Transport 21.

As the city of Dublin approaches the big dig, it is essential that a clear, transparent and detailed plan be managed so that community and business life in the city centre will be protected and maintained during the enormous construction period.

Dan Boyle (Green Party)
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Does Senator McFadden second the amendment?

Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I second the amendment. I am sorry Senator Boyle is in the Chair because I intend to have a go at the Green Party launch statement of yesterday. The Senator spoke about hitting commuters by taxing them for using roads over public transport.

Dan Boyle (Green Party)
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I request the Senator to address the motion rather than the Chair, for once.

Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I will do so and I thank the Chair for the correction. I shall abide, as always, by the Chair.

It is well and good to tax people for using roads if there is a public transport system in place but, sadly, what is being provided is inadequate and insufficient. In its launch document, the Green Party called for a light rail in all major cities. I fully support this. When I was still a county councillor in Athlone, I included, in the consideration of the county development plant, an aspiration that there should be a light rail for the town of Athlone. It would be far-sighted and visionary for a local authority to include such in its development plan and thus decrease the high dependency on cars, which, as the document states, has made us so vulnerable with increasing oil prices.

This is all laudable but it is also ironic that the Green Party, a partner in Government, also stated yesterday that we are spending three times as much on roads as on public transport. Since that party has joined forces with Fianna Fáil what has their joint partnership delivered? The Green Party has been very vocal on public transport issues since its inception.

An important question is how to keep cars out of Dublin city centre. On several occasions since I was elected Senator, I have raised the matter of public transport in the midlands and, specifically concerning County Westmeath, the re-opening of the Mullingar-Athlone rail link. This was never included in Transport 21. Today the Government parties are applauding themselves on how wonderful Transport 21 is but they have not given a jot to the people of Westmeath and the midland areas.

I believe that the Mullingar-Athlone rail link should be included in Transport 21. Many Ministers for Transport and politicians representing Longford-Westmeath have paid lip service to and have made false promises concerning the delivery of this line. I believe that there is no political will to include the Mullingar-Athlone rail link in Transport 21 nor is there the will on behalf of the board of CIE to do so. This is regrettable. The line exists, no land needs to be acquired, the costs, in comparison to other projects around the country, would be very little and the benefits would be enormous.

What would the opening of the Mullingar-Athlone connection mean to the people of the midlands? It would improve access within Westmeath, complementing the national spatial strategy to which so much attention has been given, by connecting the gateway towns of Athlone, Mullingar and Tullamore. According to the Indecon report, rail infrastructure has been identified as being very important in terms of providing mobility within the region. This line would connect the people from Sligo, Longford, Mullingar and Maynooth to the west without commuters having to go to Dublin. In economic terms, the rail link would improve the accessibility of workers, shoppers, students and tourists to the labour market, to Athlone Institute of Technology, to FÁS and to various tourism attractions in Westmeath. Many worthy agencies support this, as is clear from the Indecon report, the national development plan, the national spatial strategy and the Border midland and western grouping, BMW. They say that this is a commendable proposal and they cannot all be wrong.

I ask the Minister to prioritise this rail link to keep car numbers and emissions down and to reduce stress and anxiety in people who must sit in their cars for hours trying to get in and out of Dublin. There is another option for the Minister in this regard, which is to open the railway station at Killucan. There is a superb land block there on which a park-and-ride facility could be built and people coming from Meath and north Westmeath would not find it necessary to drive into the city.

We must have the vision to include these projects in Transport 21. It is not all about Dublin, with respect to Senator Donohoe. There are other parts of the country which are neglected and public transport is as important in rural Ireland as it is in Dublin. I ask the Minister, in his new brief, to examine the re-opening of the Mullingar-Athlone rail link and the Killucan railway station.

John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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I am disappointed with Senator McFadden. She has become so negative since she arrived in this House that she does not see what she passes every day. When the Senator says there has been no investment in the midlands——

Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)
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In rail.

John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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The Senator said "in the midlands", with due respect.

Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I said rail.

John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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Questions about rail will be answered for the Senator also.

Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)
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Public transport and rail.

John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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Questions about rail will be answered. The Senator should at least have given credit for the fact that the N6 has been up-graded and now it and the M4 make a tremendous difference for people who want——

Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I mentioned emissions and keeping cars off the road and out of Dublin. That is what——

John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Senator to excuse me. I did not interrupt her when I should have so I do not need her to tell me how to speak in this House, nor do I need to be heckled by her.

Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I apologise.

John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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I cannot understand why the Senator has not given credit for the new rail cars provided for the Dublin-Sligo line, which serves much of County Westmeath and which has now probably one of the best services other than that from Dublin to Cork. Credit should be given for that.

When we examine Transport 21 as a whole it is important for people to realise what was our starting point. We must increasingly invest in public rail, roads and other public services in respect of transport if we are to improve what we have. We have all seen enormous improvements put in place over the past number of years.

I wish to refer to a number of aspects that concern my part of the country before dealing with Luas and metro and the other matters that affect all who come into Dublin. There has been enormous investment in the roads infrastructure. We have seen projects delivered on time and now coming in under budget. The NRA is to be complimented for the way in which it has upped its game in recent times in comparison with the early operation of some of its projects. We now see projects delivered as they should be and credit is due to Mr. Fred Barry and the team around him in the NRA. They are delivering well ahead of time on many projects, for instance on the M4. I saw one project local to me, the by-pass of Dromod and Rooskey, which was delivered recently ten months ahead of time and under budget. These are the benefits coming from some of our road projects.

The project that most people have dealings with is probably the M50. While this might not be progressing as quickly as everyone would wish there are now definite times concerning completion. We will also have barrier-free tolling by the second half of this year. These are very important issues for people.

We must also look to the future concerning the road infrastructure as a whole. The proposals of last week for an outer relief road for Dublin, stretching from either Drogheda or Dundalk down to a point south of Naas point up what must be done if we are to have efficient road transport for the haulage industry. By doing such we would make a double contribution. We would save with regard to time spent on these routes and emissions would also be reduced.

We are in a country where it is more important to load goods onto a truck than to use rail. Anybody who knows about using rail for heavy goods will understand that bar a minimum journey of 600 miles, it is inefficient. This might be sad to state but it is inefficient because of the costs of hauling to a station, loading and unloading. This is why so many of our goods are transported by road. It will always be the position in this country.

The Luas has been a tremendous success and the proposed extensions are to be welcomed. In doing this, I hope we will not have the same problems with regard to its construction as we did previously. Parts of the city remained dug up for far longer periods than was necessary. The RPA will no doubt take this into consideration because it was raised by many Members of both Houses. We do not want to see it happening again. We understand St. Stephen's Green will become a building site for a while and we must accept this. However, I hope proper arrangements will be made to allow traffic to move freely on other routes rather than having to go around the green during the construction. When complete, the joining up of all the rail services in the city will be of enormous benefit to commuters. It will mean somebody can go to a park and ride facility on the outskirts of the city and know they can get from A to B without having to walk for two miles or change from rail to bus.

We have seen enormous improvements in bus services and the quality of the bus fleet. This is welcome and will make a major contribution to the provision of services. I note from the Minister of State's speech the increase in the number of buses provided this year. If we continue at this level we will encourage people to get out of their cars and use public transport provided it is efficient and that we will not end up with people jammed into buses with standing room only. Thank God this seems to have disappeared. Bus Éireann is to be complimented on how well it runs the intercity services. They are run efficiently and on time, which is important to people who use them.

Major investment has been made in rail services with the provision of welded rail and the improvement of rolling stock. No line has seen more of this than the one which goes from my neck of the woods to Dublin, namely, the Dublin to Sligo line. The improvement in this line is justified by the extra services provided and the increase in passengers using it and everybody welcomes this. It has increased by approximately 15% to 20% over the past 12 months.

Senator McFadden mentioned joining up western rail services with those from Dublin. The western rail corridor, as proposed, will make a major contribution to providing a national rail service. At present, if one wants to travel by rail to Limerick, one must first go to Dublin and then change train. Once the western rail corridor is completed, it will mean one can travel from Sligo to Limerick or Cork.

Any morning or evening in any station in the city one can see that the number commuters who have switched from car or bus to rail is phenomenal. If one passes Heuston Station or Connolly Station when a train comes in one will see the number of people using the services. Many people arrive into Connolly and then take the Luas to Heuston Station and around the city. However, it will never be efficient until the metro is in place——

David Norris (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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——and everything is joined up. This must be the main aim of public transport policy in Dublin. Examining it from outside, I see total merit in the provision of the metro and the Luas extensions. They will make a major contribution to providing people with an efficient and reliable service. People will know they will arrive on time and not be at the whim of a traffic jam or a minor road accident. We have seen minor accidents jam the traffic in the city for hours.

The removal of HGVs from the city through the use of the Dublin Port tunnel has made a major contribution to enabling people to go about the city in public transport or their cars. It has removed traffic from the city centre. None of us will regret that HGV juggernauts have been removed from the inner city because they caused problems with traffic congestion. One always knew the time the boats sailed because if one was coming up the quays within an hour and a half of the boat, one saw the HGVs bumper to bumper. Now they can get off the M50 via the port tunnel and arrive without causing inconvenience for people in the city centre.

We must consider other measures making a contribution to Transport 21. The Minister of State was right to state we never had the level of resources that we do now to provide public infrastructure and we all accept this. In doing this, we do not want to see everything pushed into one part of the country. Certain parts of the country, including my own, still have serious road problems. Towns which previously had mini-bypasses now need bypasses. I appeal to the NRA to examine these now and plan ahead. I will mention Carrick-on-Shannon, which has a bypass but is becoming a bottleneck on the N4 at weekends and other times. The bypass provided was a type of inner relief road. The NRA is progressing this.

The one benefit I see from the road improvements which have taken place, particularly on the N4 which I use, is that it now takes me 20 minutes less to get to Dublin than it did three years ago without having to break the law. This is where we see the difference. It is 20 minutes and a large amount of emissions saved because one is driving efficiently and not stuck in traffic jams. I have no doubt the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, and the Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey, will continue to drive Transport 21. When we discuss it in two or three years' time we will realise the bulk of Transport 21 will have been delivered and that commuters in Dublin and throughout the country will have the standard of service they deserve.

Shane Ross (Independent)
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I find it easy to agree with both the motion and the amendment. The Government is congratulating itself on one of the most laudable parts of its policy and the Opposition is finding fault with smaller and minor parts of it. However, most people support Transport 21. I accept the Opposition's criticisms but the motion should be supported. The tabling of the motion is indicative of the Government's commitment not to cut capital expenditure and I commend it on that. In the fragile economic period we are approaching, it is important that such expenditure is not cut, particularly on infrastructure because of its importance to the economy.

The motion highlights the infrastructural problems that were never resolved during the Celtic tiger era. All forms of transport were inadequate because nobody foresaw the extraordinary boom in land, air and sea traffic. Even if the motion is only aspirational, we should tie the Government to it, commend it on tabling it and accept it as a commitment not to cut capital expenditure in this area. I welcome the motion for that reason. The Opposition amendments are fair in their detailed criticism of delays and so on but, on the whole, we should encourage the Government to proceed full steam ahead with its plans and not carp too much about them.

When I consider the problems in Dublin, I see the M50 in mind's eye. It is symbolic of what happened to Dublin traffic and infrastructure in recent times. We witnessed an appalling vista. There was no foresight regarding the transport problems in the city and commuters and trade were allowed to be obstructed. The Government was paralysed for years and did nothing about it and it was happy to see a private monopoly raking in money at the expense not only of individuals but also the economy. I welcome the proposed introduction of barrier free tolling in August, to which Senator Ellis referred. I also welcome the Government having the bottle to spend the money to do so because the benefits may not be immediate, tangible or measurable but the time saved by individuals, who are more important than anything, and industry and trade will be incalculable. That will be an infrastructural benefit.

The object of the exercise is to encourage people out of their cars and to avail of public transport. They should not be forced to do this and they should make a free choice because they like public transport and it is better than travelling in their cars and it is preferable, more efficient, cleaner and so on. I do not agree with the Green Party's proposal to tax people out of their cars. I cannot understand why the Government or the Minister do not try a more radical solution. The Labour Party went one quarter of the way there two years ago. Why on earth will the Government not make public transport free for three, four or five years? The Minister State should announce public transport is free, as the cost to the Exchequer would not be significant. I have done calculations on this but I forgot to bring them to the Chamber. However, if public transport were free, we could examine the movement of people from private cars to public transport. I predict it would be dramatic, particularly at this time as people are beginning to feel the pinch and are looking to save money. This is a discretionary expenditure, which they could choose. Carbon emissions would be reduced and the Government would not face the detailed little problems such as integrated ticketing, which it is unable to resolve, because tickets would not be required and fewer cars would be on the road. I fail to see why the Minister of State would not consider that as an alternative to the Green Party proposal for a congestion charge.

My proposals would incentivise people, not punish them. That is a radical, left wing proposal. It is too far to the left for the Labour Party but it is not too far for me.

Dominic Hannigan (Labour)
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I will give the Senator an application form.

John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Ross has changed again. I thought he had gone the other way.

Shane Ross (Independent)
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I do not want to make trouble for the Government. This proposal should be considered and the Minister should think of this as a radical alternative. A significant number of cars would be removed from the road. He could go further and incentivise drivers to carry three or four people in their cars and not travel alone rather than penalising them. That would also remove cars from the road if the Government is serious. Public transport is not only about building more roads and making the system more efficient but it is also about incentivising people to make that choice. The Minister of State should give consideration to this. I am interested in his views. I apologise for not having the figure for the cost to the Exchequer, which I obtained from CIE. The Luas, buses, the DART and the metro should all be free. The last time this happened was in communist Russia. That is not a good reason for failing to do this if it works and takes cars off the road.

John Carty (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State and I congratulate him on his elevation to this position. I have little doubt he will give it the same dedication he gave to his previous portfolio and he will be successful.

I will confine my remarks to what will happen in the west in the next few years. Great progress has been made. The N5 upgrade between Castlebar and the county boundary with Roscommon is complete. The final 14 km section was completed well ahead of schedule and it was opened earlier this year, even though it was not supposed to be completed until the end of the year. We are on the right track to getting other works up and running. Last Monday, Mayo County Council met to discuss the route for a dual carriageway between Ballindine and Galway city. While it is included in the plans for the Atlantic corridor, it will be completed ahead of schedule because the Government has made significant moneys available for the development of roads. A dual carriageway between Ballindine and Galway city will make a major difference to transport in the west because it will link with the N17 between Charlestown and Ballindine, which has been a great success in the past four years.

The other part I would like to mention is the N59 coastal route which is proposed from Sligo via Westport to Galway. This will benefit tourism hugely in that part of the country because everybody knows that it has huge tourism potential. The tourism aspect has been developed over recent years but, unfortunately, the road network has not been that good. I welcome the fact that it has been included in Transport 21 and look forward to its completion.

The western rail corridor is another part of our development. For the past 30 years, no train has run from Claremorris to Ennis or Galway but this has now begun to be put in place. As we speak, work is taking place on the Ennis to Athenry route. This will deliver direct, regular Galway to Limerick services timed to meet commuter needs. It will serve Limerick, Ennis, a new station at Sixmilebridge, Gort, Ardrahan, Craughwell, Oranmore and Athenry and proceed into Galway. The second part of that phase will see the development of the Athenry-Tuam-Claremorris route, which will be of huge benefit to my part of south and east Mayo and people travelling to Galway.

There is also a proposal that it continue on to Collooney in County Sligo and link up with the Sligo-Dublin line. That will take a lot of transport off the road as far as the transport of goods is concerned. I would certainly welcome that because at the present time, our roads are taken up to a considerable degree with the transport of materials that could well be transported by rail.

I compliment the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, on putting money into the reinstatement of fencing and of part of the line from Claremorris to Collooney as well as the cleaning of the line. This money was well spent and has given a new impetus to the development of that part of the track. When it comes to Claremorris, I have little doubt that it will go on to Collooney in a speedy fashion.

There are three trains per day from Westport-Ballina to Dublin, taking in all the stations in Mayo on the way there. It is now proposed that by the end of the year, there will be five trains per day. I congratulate Iarnród Éireann on upgrading that line and putting on new carriages. I travelled on that train twice in recent weeks and it was a comfort to do so compared with what we had before. The new rolling stock is very welcome and its introduction is not before time. This will take a considerable amount of traffic off the road. I would ask Iarnród Éireann to ensure there is an early bird service from Westport-Ballina to Athlone to meet up with the Galway train so that the people of Mayo could be in before 9 a.m.

This Government has invested a substantial sum of money in Knock Airport, which is also part of transport although it is not in Transport 21. The Government allocated €27.1 million for the development of the airport. I see that bringing in more people to the west for tourism. This is why it is important we have good rail and bus transport and good roads in that part of the county.

Dominic Hannigan (Labour)
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I wish to share my time with Senator Norris.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Dominic Hannigan (Labour)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am very glad to speak on this motion. I am my party's spokesperson on the commuter belt. This is an issue that affects not just me but many of the people I represent. I want to focus on a small number of issues because, like previous speakers, I think a lot has been done on the issue of transport infrastructure. I will suggest some improvements and ideas that the Minister of State might take away with him, focusing largely on bus services, the rail network and roads.

Our bus network has seen significant expansion over recent years. More needs to be done because buses are one area where we can deliver real improvements much more quickly than improvements to the rail or road networks which, of course, take time. Additional buses can be introduced very quickly. We would like to see 500 additional buses added to the Dublin fleet. We would also like to see the completion of the quality bus networks not just in Dublin but also in other cities such as Cork. We would like to see fast-tracking of the park and ride facilities, with express bus services from Dublin to Cork, Limerick and Galway. We would also like to see better route information systems. Information should be provided at bus stops so that when people arrive there, they can get information about the next service. Information should also be sent to mobile phones and displayed on websites. We would like to see a replacement of the travel pass scheme with a new freedom pass that would provide cheaper fares and integration for commuters.

We would also like to see a revision of the way new bus stops are planned. I will give the House an example without being too parochial. Ashbourne in County Meath has grown significantly in recent years yet people must walk a mile to the nearest bus stop. If one asks the county council to provide something, it will say that it is a matter for the Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána will tell one to go to Bus Éireann which will pass the buck back to the council.

Last year, I attended a meeting with four county council officials, three councillors, two employees of Bus Éireann and a local garda. The meeting was chaired by a Minister of State. This was just to get a bus stop. That happened over a year ago and we are still waiting for the bus stop. The way we go about planning and implementing something as simple as a bus stop needs to be looked at again. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could give this issue some thought because people have to walk to the nearest bus stop which is at least a mile way.

I also want to raise the issue of the Navan to Dublin railway line. I know the Government is committed to phase one but we have seen a delay happen and I want to be sure this scheme will not slip any further. I would also like to ensure we are serious about extending the line as far as Navan. I know the Minister has spoken in favour of it in the past. However, we need to ensure this line serves not just the people of Navan but also the people of Dunshaughlin, Ashbourne and Ratoath, be it by changing the alignment or by putting in park and ride facilities to allow them to avail of this service.

It is not the only rail project where we need to see improvement and where there have been delays. The construction timetable for the Midleton railway line and the re-signalling of the Maynooth line have slipped and the completion date for Dublin's metro north has changed by two years from 2012 to 2014.

I also support Senator McFadden's call for existing stations to be reopened. I am aware of the station at Killucan. It is far outside my constituency but having seen the business case for it, I think a case certainly exists and I ask the Minister of State to think again about whether the station could be reopened.

When it comes to the issue of roads, we must compliment Transport 21 on delivering some projects on time and some projects before time. An example would be the M1 link to Newry, which has opened and is a fantastic link to the North of Ireland. The N2 bypass of Castleblayney and Monaghan is very welcome for people travelling there and beyond. However, other schemes have seen delays. For example, the Limerick southern ring road has had its completion date moved back to 2010. More work needs to be done there. Senator Ellis mentioned bypasses, on which there needs to be greater focus. The village of Slane, for example, which lies between Ashbourne, which is bypassed, and Castleblayney, is choked with traffic. The village of Julianstown, through which 22,000 vehicles go every day, needs a bypass, as does the village of Duleek.

I must agree with Senator Ellis again on the need for an outer relief road for Dublin, which would result in a reduction of carbon emissions. I do not agree with the Green Party's comments on this, as reported in today's newspapers, where it was described as "stupid" to put such a scheme in place without first ensuring that everybody drives an electric car. I think an outer relief road is essential in terms of emissions reductions. I note that Senator Dan Boyle is looking quizzically at me, but I refer him to today's edition of The Irish Times. Deputy Cuffe was quoted as saying that a Dublin outer orbital route would be "stupid" but I believe it would be a great idea and agree with Senator Ellis on that point.

We can provide for such schemes because there is additional money in the public coffers from the VAT on fuel, given that fuel prices have increased enormously in recent times. With the downturn in the construction sector, there are people available who would be ideally placed to take on these schemes. I ask the Government to focus on increasing the level of bypass building.

Comrade Ross referred to the idea of getting rid of rail fares altogether, which reminded me of a story I heard when I was working for a rail company in the United Kingdom. The Chairman of British Rail was asked why rail fares could not be made cheaper. His response was that if he received the same level of subsidy as the Italian railway network, not only could he eliminate all fares, he could also give all customers a £10 refund at Christmas. One gets what one pays for. If adequate subsidies were made available, we could have free fares. If the Government wants to see improved emissions and more people using public transport, it will have to make the money available.

David Norris (Independent)
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I thank Senator Hannigan for sharing his time with me. It is very important, even though times may be difficult, that the Government keeps its nerve and invests in the long-term infrastructure of this country. We have had situations in the past, particularly with the metro, where it was clear that the project was the only logical, sensible solution that would effectively address the traffic congestion in Dublin city but it fell off the agenda because of economic difficulties. The Government must keep its courage on this one.

I am very disappointed, like other Members, that the time for the implementation of the metro has been extended by another two years. We must have absolute commitment on this project. While I am on the subject of the metro, much concern has been expressed about disruption to St. Stephen's Green. I understand that it must take place and I have lost a few votes by writing back to constituents and telling them that I am in favour of the metro and that the green must be dug up. However, it can be done in a sensitive way. I know, for example, in the Middle East that even mature trees can be lifted, tubbed, conserved and then put back in place. I would like a commitment from the Government that this will happen and that the disruption to St. Stephen's Green will be temporary and that the park, which is very much beloved by Dubliners and all Irish citizens, will be reinstated and there will not be ongoing, ugly disturbances. Any entrances to the metro station should be appropriate and, if possible, located outside the perimeter of the green itself. Having said all that, the metro is essential.

I suggest that the Dublin transport authority might take into account the views of Mr. Cormac Rabbitte and examine his Dargan project proposals. Mr. Rabbitte is a serious player in this area and has had very sensible ideas. Governments tend to catch up with him after the event. He has come up with a proposal that would provide us with more than the metro as currently outlined, would be cheaper and would be a fully integrated orbital metro network.

I spoke on the Dublin Transport Authority Bill in this House and was sorry the Minister did not agree to at least one of my amendments which related to the off-street parking of commercial buses, especially private ones. It is insane to have buses all around Mountjoy Square, for example, where there is a crèche and a children's playground. It is very dangerous and I do not see why there should not be a requirement on the bus companies to provide off-street parking for their fleets. The Minister responded that the provision existed in the legislation to which I respond that the wording should be changed from "may" to "shall", that is, the Minister shall require the companies to provide off-street parking because it is a public necessity.

We also discussed the issue of cycle lanes on O'Connell Street. If we are going to provide cycle lanes, there must be consistency and coherence. There is no point in having a cycle lane that starts at one point and then evaporates at a set of traffic lights. Cycle lanes and cyclists must be protected. I have been knocked off my bicycle not once, but twice on O'Connell Street, with the result that I do not cycle down it any more.

I raised a matter during the debate on the Dublin Transport Authority Bill but I know the Minister of State at the Department of Transport is a good Dubliner and may take it on board. This is a city of which we can be proud but not of the Dublin Port tunnel, to which Senator Ellis referred. While it has been effective in removing the articulated traffic from the city centre, its treatment is appalling. The entrance, which is one of the first sights of public note one sees coming from the airport, is ugly, amateurish and stupid. It looks like a bit of an old hoover that has landed from outer space. Why not address it properly and put it in a proper architectural context, to show that we are proud of it? Furthermore, when we are building the metro, let us not build cheap stations. Let us, for a few pence more in global terms, build decent stations which can be used as exhibition halls for reproductions of some of the great treasures we have in our museums.

Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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The Senator's time is well up and the train is moving on.

David Norris (Independent)
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In that case, I will just mention, en passant, the M3, which is a frightful business. The Minister of State might, if he has a spare moment, read what I said on the Order of Business today about the involvement of Kellogg, Brown & Root in it. We are paying some pretty questionable American companies to desecrate part of the historic landscape around the Hill of Tara.

Dan Boyle (Green Party)
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In the 1940s, writing in his Cruiskeen Lawn column in The Irish Times, Brian O'Nolan, probably writing as Myles na gCopaleen or one of the other vast array of characters he used, talked about road development. He was writing satirically at a time when the tram services had stopped in all the Irish cities and rail lines were being ripped up left, right and centre. His argument was that one only really needed to build one new road, which did not even have to go to any particular location. One just waited until the traffic filled that road and then one built a new one parallel to it and one kept building new roads parallel to it, indefinitely. It was a very prescient column because it seems we now have that road. It is called the M50.

David Norris (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Dan Boyle (Green Party)
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That type of transport planning which has bedevilled us over generations has always been, if the House will pardon the pun, the wrong road to go down.

There is no need to question the fact that one of the most advanced inventions of the 20th century was the private motor car. The freedom it gave to people changed the nature of society. However, that freedom has come with a price. It has meant using a scarce and diminishing resource that has environmental consequences. Any society that wants to get people from A to B in the quickest possible time must have a proper balance between access to the private motor car and public transport.

I spoke at a conference in Berlin recently, which is not a city I get to go to very often, but it was a pleasant experience. I spoke on a Friday morning and had the rest of the weekend to potter around. I bought a daily travel ticket for the city of Berlin and locations up to 20 km outside it, which cost me €6.50. With that ticket I could travel on the suburban rail, the S-bahn, the underground, the U-bahn, the trams and the buses. Berlin is a city of 3.5 million people and there are obviously economies of scale at play but if we consider ourselves to be an advanced country, one of the wealthiest in the world, then we must ask ourselves why not.

It is obvious that Transport 21 is the first attempt at putting in place an integrated approach to transport planning. In our press conference yesterday, we mentioned the fact that spending between the years 2002 and 2006 was three times greater on roads than on public transport, which was totally the wrong approach. The balance in the Transport 21 envelope is €18 billion for road transport and €14 billion for public transport, which is far better than the previous position. We will never have sustainable transport provision, however, until that gap is bridged or even surpassed.

From the Green Party's point of view, yesterday's press conference was to highlight a submission we made on the sustainable transport and travel action plan, which is a useful consultation process. It examines Transport 21, its priorities and how it will be implemented into the future. The programme for Government is quite emphatic in providing that Transport 21 will be implemented. The projects have been identified and they are being put in place.

On the roads side, lessons of the past have been learned in terms of many projects coming in under budget and on time. That has not always been the case.

Dominic Hannigan (Labour)
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Is the Senator happy with the——-

Dan Boyle (Green Party)
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I will tell the Senator what I am happy with. He talked about an orbital ring road, with which I will deal later. In terms of the practice of road building in the early part of this decade, the cost of the initial road programme in 1998 increased from €5.8 billion to €18 billion. I am glad that those mistakes are not being repeated with Transport 21. It is important that we get our sums right in our transport plans.

I must admit I am disappointed that road projects are being done first and public transport projects will be done subsequently. I am also disappointed that the public transport projects that have been started are falling behind the time set for their completion whereas road projects are not. If Transport 21 is to be effective, those are balances that we must get right.

I do not accept the arguments about rail freight. Ireland is a small country but so are countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands which have a better balance than do we between goods transported by road and goods by rail. The ratio in Ireland is 96% and increasing for road transport and 4% and decreasing for rail. The European average is 87% and 14%, respectively. If that balance is achieved in countries that are smaller than ours, I must ask why.

I would like the delay in work on the Cork-Midleton line and on the western rail corridor to be overcome. I would also like rail corridor extended from Cork to Sligo, as it is only envisaged it will run from Limerick to Sligo. One cannot travel by rail directly from Cork to Limerick but must change at Limerick Junction, even though there is a traditional line from Charleville through Patrickswell to Limerick city. These are existing options that we should be reconsidering.

The programme for Government refers to the need to have public transport choices in cities other than Dublin. I am glad there are studies under way in Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway and what they bring forward must be acted upon within the lifetime of Transport 21 and begun within the lifetime of the Government.

I will put an even more emphatic statement on the record. If new public transport initiatives do not happen while my party is in Government, then there is no point in my party being in Government. That must be clearly stated. We exist to get a better balance in transport. I recognise all that is valuable in Transport 21. I want to see its full implementation but for it to be done consistently. I also want to ensure that those who do not have access to private motor car transport, who number between one fifth and one quarter of all households, are better dealt with in this country because we still have, if one can pardon the pun, a very long road to travel in this regard.

Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)
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I wish to share my time with Senator John Paul Phelan.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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That is agreed.

Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)
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I welcome this opportunity to contribute on the broader transport issue. The motion is rather bland, hence the need for the Fine Gael amendment to it. This a topic to which we should return and devote a day to debating. Whether it be a town or country setting or an urban or rural setting, serious transport issues facing the country need to be resolved.

I listened to the contributions of previous speakers, especially that of Senator Hannigan. He spoke about subsidies which can make rail transport much more viable for commuters in certain countries. If we wish to move towards increased use of public transport, as is the case in any other area, we must be willing to invest in same.

On the broader issue of public transport versus private transport, in particular rail and bus transport versus the car and the motorway, there is a tendency to think in the George Orwell-speak of "Four legs good, two legs bad." In other words, that rail and bus transport are on the right side of the equation and that private transport and motorists are on the wrong side of it. The issue is far from being as simple as that. I do aspire to the belief, however, we must maximise the level of public transport available. We must also maximise the incentive and the possibility of that being provided, but that requires serious levels of investment.

The Fine Gael amendment briefly mentions some of the obvious problems we face. Everybody welcomes the apparent commitment of money under Transport 21, but the delivery and the provision of what has been written in that respect is another matter. Some of the progress under the programme has been quite slow. I have spoken on many occasions in the House about the need for investment on the rail side of the equation. I welcome what has been done so far. To paraphrase the former Taoiseach's phrase, there is a lot done, more to do. Much more investment is required.

A solution has not been found to transport issues in certain parts of the country. I ask the Minister of State to bring to the attention of his Department and that of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment the difficulty being experienced by commuters on the Kerry-Mallow rail line where on a weekly if not daily basis, as a result of a labour dispute, commuters from Kerry are being brought to Mallow and Cork by bus. It is causing considerable difficulty and as a result, some people are moving away completely from using public transport and returning to using their cars. The dispute is obviously between Iarnród Éireann and its staff but this has been ongoing at a certain level for some time and needs attention.

I will be parochial again and raise a road infrastructure issue I have raised on many occasions previously. I had to express bemusement and amazement when the Transport 21 plan was announced, notwithstanding the large number of roads scheduled for investment, that two roads in my region in north Cork, the Mallow-Mitchelstown and Mallow-Fermoy roads, amazingly were left off the list. I have brought this to the attention of the previous two Ministers for Transport. Roads with such high levels of commercial and domestic traffic as the Mallow-Mitchelstown and Mallow-Fermoy roads are in need of urgent investment and should have been included in the Transport 21 plan, I am disappointed that issue has not been addressed.

I hope we can return to the broader debate on this issue because we all favour maximising investment in public transport and allowing people the opportunity to travel in the most environmentally friendly way possible. While the billboards and the advertising signs throughout the country are aspirational and in some sense would remind one of the old signs one would have seen in the former Soviet Union and the eastern bloc advising how their countries were progressing so well, in reality, projects are not as progressive as those expensive signs would lead one to believe.

I genuinely look forward to having a broader debate on this issue as opposed to the issue being the subject of a Private Members' motion where one person says "Yes" to the motion and the other person "No" to it. We need to set aside a day to debate transport, which affects every family and individual.

John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Bradford for sharing his time with me. I am glad to have this opportunity to speak on the issue of transport. I agree with Senator Bradford that we should have more debates on this issue.

The Government motion, to which an amendment has been tabled, begged amendment. It is a one line statement: "That Seanad Éireann commends the Government on its commitment to transport investment under Transport 21." It is the Government's job to invest in transport and the mechanism to do that is Transport 21. The motion is a little like commending the Government on Christmas or the Department of Transport on being that Department. Such investment is a function of Government. I am delighted to support the Fine Gael amendment, as proposed by my colleague, Senator Donohoe.

I wish to raise a number of specific issues. Previous speakers mentioned advertising. I was in Cuba last year and Fidel would be very proud of some of the posters on the Transport 21 initiative. I disagree with a point Senator Ellis made about rail freight. I travel the road from Dublin to Waterford and Kilkenny several times each week. I acknowledge that in parts of the country in which there are no railway lines or railway stations, rail freight is not a viable option. However, on that route and on other inter-urban routes where there are existing railway networks, we should do more to encourage people to use those to get freight off the road because there has been a huge increase in traffic from that sector in recent years.

Previous speakers mentioned overruns in time and money. Much of what was promised under Transport 21 has been put back and many projects in my immediate area, including the Waterford bypass, are scheduled to run behind time. Even the Carlow bypass, which was due to open this month, will not open even though it appears most of the work has been completed. However, it would be churlish of me not to admit that much money has been invested. There has been a great improvement in the road network.

However, the town with the most appalling traffic is my local town of New Ross, County Wexford. Unfortunately, it is not in my constituency. The bypass for New Ross has been on the agenda since I was elected to the county council in 1999 and it was projected to be completed a couple of years ago. Not only is it not complete, it has not commenced. It is a major European route because it is the link between Rosslare Port and Cork. The stretch of road between Rosslare and Waterford is included in Transport 21 and yet nothing is happening to that stretch of road. It is a nightmare for people living on the Kilkenny side of the bridge in New Ross, County Wexford.

I refer to what Senator Ross said. The former Taoiseach, in one of his more famous contributions, said he was a socialist and that there were only two or three left. Senator Martin Brady was reputed to be one of the three but Senator Ross is in danger of stealing that mantle because he made a very good suggestion that the Government should consider providing public transport free of charge for a trial period of six months or a year. I deplore this notion by the Green Party and others, who have ideological hang-ups about public transport, that the way to get people to use public transport is to tax them out of their cars. People driving cars are taxed enough already. If we want to encourage people to use public transport, we must provide the service and the possibility of providing that service free of charge should be considered.

Martin Brady (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern. I congratulate him on his new portfolio and know he will do a good job. He was Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works and for housing and he did excellent work. He is man who always has his feet on the ground and who never loses the run of himself. I wish him well in his new position.

I refer to what the previous speaker said. I do not mind being called a socialist because I always believe a socialist should have the best for himself or herself but I have not achieved that yet. Much progress has been made in regard Transport 21 in recent years, which we sometimes we forget. As recently as 1990, we only had 26 km of motorway while a decade ago, we had fewer than 100 km. The most pleasing development is that most of the road schemes are coming in ahead of schedule and under budget. No one can accuse us of overruns anymore.

Some 234 new buses have been purchased and 110 have been delivered. I congratulate CIE, Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann on the role they have played. They have done a magnificent job. In the area I represent, Donaghmede, one can get a bus or a DART every ten minutes. If one wants to go to the Red Cow roundabout, one can be there in less than three quarters of an hour. Much progress has been made.

In the old days when I had to go to Cavan at weekends, one got a bus at 6.30 p.m. and if one missed it, one would not get another one until 12 p.m. the following day. If one went out to Blanchardstown, which Senator O'Toole will know, there were lines of people on the road thumbing lifts because some did not have sufficient money to pay their bus fares and they depended on the goodwill of people with cars to give them a lift. If the bus broke down, which happened to me one frosty night, one could be up to two hours waiting for a recovery vehicle. If one was unlucky enough not to have a nice person sitting beside one, it could be quite a boring wait.

Thank God the same situation does not prevail on that route today. One can get a bus on the hour, which is very convenient for Bus Éireann customers. One can get a return fare from Dublin to Cavan for approximately €9, which is good value for money. People often complain about the bus service but in some cases, one can get a bus on the half hour. Much progress has been made in that regard.

I refer to the new inter-city trains which have been purchased. I have been on some of them and it is like being in a sitting room. They are superb and they run on time. Some people say the trains are overcrowded but trains in many countries are overcrowded. I have been in France and in various other countries and trains there are overcrowded as well. There will never be a situation in which a train or a bus will not be overcrowded at some point in the day. We are sometimes too critical and want to get the bus the minute we arrive at the bus stop. That is not a reasonable expectation.

I refer to taxi and hackney services in rural areas. In some parts of the country, it is very difficult to get a taxi and people run mini-cabs. If one is travelling five miles, one might have to do a country run of approximately 30 miles to get to one's destination. In other words, a ten-minute journey might take an hour. Senator Ellis and others raised this issue. We must consider the situation in rural areas where people have become prisoners in their own homes. They cannot go out because they are afraid to drive if they have a drink. People used to go to the local pub, including one I know called Lisgrey House which is close to my home place, to play cards and do Irish dancing. That has all stopped. One of the reasons is that it is so inconvenient to get transport to and from the pub.

Parents in rural areas have become taxi operators. They must pick up their children, leave them at parties, etc. My sister-in-law spent an entire Sunday driving children around. We need to seriously consider that issue. I do not know what the solution is but we must come up with proposals and put in place the proper infrastructure. If we do not do so, the fabric of society will be damaged and the social element of rural life will diminish. That would not be good for society in general.

We cannot ignore the major progress which has been made in regard to transport but there is more to come. We are not stopping at this. More progress will be made and we will keep everyone updated.

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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I wish to share my time with Senator Pearse Doherty. I welcome the Minister of State and wish him well in his new portfolio and hope it goes well for him. It is a challenging role to play. I would like to say a few positive and negative things.

I support the positive moves mentioned by Senator Martin Brady. There is no doubt the extra trains are welcome, as are the new roads being built within deadlines. I also welcome the speed with which the approval was given recently for the Navan rail line as far as Dunboyne. That is a vindication of the new urgent infrastructural legislation.

Having discussed transport in the House in recent weeks, we should keep in mind that rail transport in Ireland is as good as rail transport anywhere in Europe, despite what many people think. Rail travel here is cheaper than in most countries in Europe. While rail travel may be cheaper in Spain and Italy, rail transport in Ireland is significantly cheaper than in the UK, France and most other European countries. Recently I checked out the cost of rail travel in the UK and found that to travel on a same-day return ticket from King's Cross to York or Northampton, more or less the same distance as from Heuston to Tralee, would cost me £200, whereas the return ticket for Tralee would have cost just €35. I would urge people to be aware of this when they promote privatisation. It does not work well in the United Kingdom.

I would like to inform the Minister of State of some of the faults with regard to our transport system. I drive into work each morning on the N2, but I would like to be able to leave my car at home. On the odd day I take the bus, it drops me outside the House or in Abbey Street and I am happy with that. The problem, however, is that I cannot rely on the bus, the reason being that not enough buses are available and they often get caught in traffic. I refer to the Bus Éireann service rather than Dublin Bus. The service is excellent when it works, but if it is not reliable, people cannot take the chance on it.

A more serious matter is that there are no park and ride facilities available on any of the main routes into Dublin city, which is disgraceful. There are no park and ride facilities where the N3 reaches Blanchardstown, the N2 reaches Finglas or the N1 reaches Swords. There is plenty of space available around the M50 where park and ride facilities could be easily provided, but that will not be done. Consequently, people park by the grace and favour of publicans in public house car parks for the day so that they can take the bus. This will continue until such a time as publicans start charging them and the system falls apart. Park and ride facilities are a simple solution so that people can park their cars and take the bus.

Let us consider areas outside Dublin where nothing is happening to improve transport facilities. Take for example the city of Limerick which is ideally located, structured and designed for a proper commuter service. A train line comes from directly north of the city, from Ennis, into the city. Another comes from the north-east, from Nenagh and another from the south-east, from Limerick Junction. There is also a train line from west of the city, from Tarbert, into the city. However, these lines do not work most of the time. The authorities reluctantly agreed to upgrade the Ennis line. Since that was done, usage quadrupled immediately, despite the fact there was no selling of the line or there were no intermediate stops. I welcome the commitment of the Government on finally getting movement on the western rail corridor.

Another project which would bring improvement in the area of transport would be to complete the outer ring road proposed by the former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern. He was right about the improvement that would be brought by the completion of a ring road from Drogheda, to Slane, Navan, Naas and perhaps right around into Wicklow. This would not be a difficult project to complete as the roads and space are available.

We have not made adequate progress on transport. I support the Fine Gael amendment. Despite the fact the Government has done some good in the transport area, it is a bit early in the day for it to begin congratulating itself. There is a lot more to do.

Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Ó Tuathail as ucht a chuid ama a roinnt liom. I welcome the debate on Transport 21 and will focus comment on a number of issues. The Minister of State mentioned that Transport 21 deals with a legacy of neglect. They may not have been his exact words, rather they are mine, but it deals with the lack of investment in previous years. There is no doubt that Transport 21 makes a substantial investment in transport. However, we are just playing catch-up for previous decades of under-investment in our transport infrastructure.

Even with Transport 21, we do not seem to have a joined-up approach in terms of road infrastructure. I could name a number of projects where Transport 21 commits either a 2+1 lane road or a dual carriageway, although we await clarification that 2+1 roads will never again be built in Ireland because they are bad value for money and not the safest roads for transport. I believe they will be consigned to history, but that has not happened yet. We have seen 2+1 roads built in recent years, for example, the Castleblayney bypass.

In a debate on transport a number of months ago the Minister of State said the Government is committed to delivering a dual carriageway from Dublin to Derry. I am aware that in the Northern end of that project where moneys have been invested, the Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister, Mr. Conor Murphy, has gripped the reins and the dual carriageway will be delivered within the estimated timeframe of 2015. What is happening on the Southern end and why are we building a 2+1 lane around Castleblayney? In some parts it is actually a single carriageway road around Castleblayney. Why are we doing this if we will have to roll in the machines again and dig it up?

The Atlantic road corridor is another example of what is happening. Transport 21 commits either a 2+1 or a dual carriageway for the corridor. I have no doubt but that it will be a dual carriageway if it ever happens. Why did we spend tens of millions of euro on bypasses in Ballyshannon and Bundoran, which are not even 2+1 roads, if it will be necessary to rebuild those roads within the timeframe of Transport 21, which has committed to having the road completed within seven years as a built dual carriageway? The Government appears to making up its strategy as it goes along. That said, there has been significant investment in transport infrastructure, which is welcome.

We need, however, to see balance in terms of where money is spent. The west must be given some attention in this regard. The recent study from the Western Development Commission shows that only 2% of commuters in the west travel to work by public transport. Why is this the case? It is because public transport does not exist in the west and investment in rail and buses has not been made. With regard to Donegal, I asked the Minister for Transport, by means of parliamentary question, how much money was spent on public transport for Donegal over the past two years since Transport 21 was announced. The response was that slightly in excess of €500,000 was spent. Considering the estimated €3.2 billion spent on public transport in the State, this is disgraceful and demonstrates the neglect of the west.

A major element missing from Transport 21 is the creation of an all-Ireland rail loop. We should be able to get a train in Sligo and travel all the way to Derry, but the connection does not exist. I raised the need to progress this matter with the Minister in the Chamber a few months ago. I am glad to say that today at the North-South Ministerial Council the two most senior politicians dealing with transport on this island have come together. I know that Mr. Conor Murphy, as Minister for Regional Development with responsibility for transport, has agreed to undertake a study to consider the long-term social, physical and economic redevelopment of railways throughout the north west. When that study is completed, it will deal with the consideration of a study into improved public transport links within Donegal. That is what is needed. We need to see a clear commitment from our Government that it will support investment into rail from Sligo to Derry and allow Mr. Conor Murphy and his Department to assist us in bridging the link from Derry to Donegal.

I am glad to see we have got movement on this. The Minister has instructed the deputy Secretary General of his Department to meet senior officials within Donegal County Council who are promoting the redevelopment of rail transport into Donegal. There is significant potential for this but we need to ensure there is balanced regional development. The best way to do this is to ensure the infrastructure needed is in place.

We must be aware that not everybody lives on the major inter-urban routes. Many people live in rural areas where they have only local roads or secondary national roads. We need investment in these roads also. While significant investment is being made in Transport 21, I urge the Government to look on investment in our infrastructure as key to building a sustainable economy. We should borrow, if necessary, to ensure this is delivered. I do not believe Transport 21 meets the needs of the west and rural Ireland because there are major deficiencies in terms of the north west and rail transport.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House, congratulate him on his new portfolio at the Department of Transport and wish him well in it. I welcome the opportunity to speak briefly on Transport 21 and ask the Minister of State about a number of issues. I understand a number of new services will come on stream on the train routes from Castlebar, Westport and Ballina to Dublin late this year or early next year. It has been pointed out to me that the new services will not go directly from Westport and Ballina to Dublin but will have to change in Athlone. If that is the case the people travelling from Ballina will have to change at Manulla and Athlone. While there will be extra services it will be a great inconvenience for the people from Ballina to have to change trains twice in a 150-mile route. Some of them may be in wheelchairs. Why should the people of Mayo have to change every time? Why should the people of Galway not change on some of the occasions? I suggest that some of those services from Westport via Athlone to Dublin be direct. At the very least we expect some of the services to be direct to Dublin.

In today's newspaper we saw that this jurisdiction and the North are agreeing on the height of container transport in the country and it is obvious the Dublin Port tunnel does not comply and is too low. We need an explanation on this. If super trucks come on stream in the South, does this mean they will go through the city of Dublin? At certain times and for much of the day the tunnel, which was built at huge cost, is empty. The toll should be reduced at certain times of the day which would take much of the traffic during the day. This should be examined. Is it the sole prerogative of the National Roads Authority? Who has the power to increase, decrease or remove a toll? If it is the Government's decision, does it have to compensate National Toll Roads? Who makes the decision? It should be examined. The tunnel was a huge cost to the taxpayer and should be used.

We should examine freight transport. We cannot have freight going straight to Dublin Port. A number of companies in my area, for example, Baxter Healthcare and Coca-Cola, would use freight transport going to Dublin Port if it were possible, but it is not.

No major roads project is under way in counties Mayo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan and there will be none in the next couple of years. A number of major projects under Transport 21 have been pushed back. When will those projects begin? Examples include the completion of the N26 in Ballina, the N5 from Castlebar to Westport and on to Bohola. Some of those projects have been planned for now but have been pushed back. This is a huge area of the country where no major project is taking place with the exception of a piece of the Athlone to Ballinasloe road in south Roscommon. This part of our country gets slim pickings in health services as we saw in the Dáil last night and tonight and it is the same in road transport. While a considerable number of projects are in the pipeline for this area, they have all been put on the back burner. When does the Minister of State think the projects that have been pushed back will be brought forward? My county of Mayo has the highest number of national secondary miles in the country and there are no projects in the pipeline.

John Ellis (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for listening to our debate on the motion. It is obvious from Senators across the House that everybody accepts that major progress has been made on infrastructure and public transport. We all accept that and want to see it continue. This motion shows the Government is committed to Transport 21. Over the past month the Taoiseach, Minister and previous Taoiseach have made it clear that infrastructure will be a priority. If we are to have the development that it is said can take place in our economy, it is imperative we have a proper road and rail network and that Dublin has the Luas extensions and the metro. These are very important to Dublin. The quality bus corridors and other developments under Transport 21 will lead to a much improved transport service that will be on a par with anything available anywhere else in the world.

I compliment all the Ministers who have had responsibility for Transport 21. Deputy Cullen launched it and Deputy Dempsey is responsible, along with Deputy Noel Ahern, for its implementation. This House should continue to have regular debates on infrastructure and how it is being improved. It is very important we continue to make the public aware of the progress that has been made on infrastructure and the progression of Transport 21. It was seen as a major initiative by the Government and when completed it will benefit every citizen of this country in one way or another.

It was mentioned that some areas may not be seen to benefit as much as others. However, as I said earlier, in the part of the country I come from the benefits of Transport 21 can be seen in the road and rail infrastructure that has been improved no end, leading to people in the west and north west being able to access Dublin much more quickly than in the old days. The motion should be commended to the House.

Pat Moylan (Fianna Fail)
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When is it proposed to sit again?

Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)
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Ag 10.30 maidin amárach.