Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 27: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will ensure that operation freeflow in Dublin will continue all year round; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32934/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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There are several good reasons why Operation Freeflow, the traffic management initiative for Dublin for the Christmas and New Year period, is not continued around the year.

During the period over Christmas and New Year there are different patterns of travel in the city. In particular, far more people are travelling later in the evening, with a great increase in late-night shopping. The additional late-night public transport services provided as part of Operation Freeflow would not be matched by take-up by the public at other times of the year.

A ban on non-essential road works, which plays an important role in Operation Freeflow, would also obviously not be possible year-round.

Finally, Freeflow involves putting a large number of extra probationary Gardaí on the streets — 160 in Operation Freeflow 2007. As you will appreciate, Garda resources are in demand across a variety of enforcement functions, and the retention of so many Gardaí on Freeflow-type duty after traffic volumes revert to normal levels and patterns would be questionable.

Apart from Operation Freeflow, Transport 21 will make a substantial impact on congestion as the various major investments in traffic management, public transport and roads are rolled out over the coming years.