asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the reason for the decision to abolish the Dublin Transport Authority; if he will indicate who will now be responsible for the functions given to the Dublin Transport Authority by the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

21.

asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the proposals, if any, he has to request the Dublin Transport Authority to prepare an overall transportation plan for the Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 21 together.

The decision to dissolve the Dublin Transport Authority was taken as part of the Government's overall strategy to reduce public expenditure. I will be bringing legislative proposals in relation to the dissolution before the House very shortly. Under this legislation, most of the functions of the DTA will be reassigned to authorities with responsibilities in the relevant areas such as the Garda and the local authorities, which in many cases had responsibility for the functions originally. The Dublin Transportation Task Force are being reconstituted to assume some of the Authority's functions in relation to traffic management and the introduction of bus priority measures.

As regards overall transport planning for Dublin, the Government have decided, in view of the present serious state of the public finances, that future transport investment plans should be based on bus options or diesel services on existing rail lines. The agencies involved are expected to proceed on the basis of this policy approach.

Will the Minister confirm that the only saving the Government made by this decision is the salary of the chief executive as all the other staff were seconded from other Departments? The whole purpose of the Dublin Transport Authority was to co-ordinate the input from the various Departments, bodies and local authorities so that there will not be a fragmented approach to the development of transport strategy for Dublin. Despite his own convictions, as stated in the House, that this was the required approach, we are now reverting to the position that obtained seven years ago when there was no co-ordinated approach to transport and its development.

I agree that was the purpose of the Dublin Transport Authority. The saving to the Exchequer of a fully staffed DTA would be £500,000 per annum. That looks small in the context of our discussions in Government but in the exercises we are undertaking it is quite a substantial sum.

Will the Minister confirm that the DTA has not cost £500,000 this year, nor would it cost that amount next year? The only cost to the Exchequer this year — and presumably next year — is the salary of the chief executive.

This is leading to argument and repetition.

The staff at present employed in the DTA are seconded from other Departments. They will return to their Departments so there will be no saving there——

We have had all this before.

It is a nonsensical decision.

The Deputy is embarking on a speech which is quite out of order.

The Minister is trying to cod us again.

That is one thing I would not do.

It is typical of the Minister's negative attitude when he was in Opposition.