I want to ask the Minister for Finance about traffic congestion every morning in Dublin, particularly on the M50, and to refer to a number of related matters. Yesterday I met a family by the name of Price in Lucan and they are typical of 100,000 families caught in this bind. The Taoiseach, speaking at the Ard-Fheis last weekend, made the point that people should imagine the changes that are yet to come in transport. I know that the Government cannot wave a magic wand and sort all this out overnight, but the Price family are commuters — commuting generally means movement — and in their case it takes between 25 and 47 minutes to get their three-year old to a crèche and a similar time to get from there back on to the main route into Dublin.

The M50 roundabout is a major contributory factor to rising stress levels, lack of productivity and consternation among hundreds of thousands of commuters, including those coming into the city from outside the greater Dublin area. The Price family is no exception to this. Having spent two hours out there and having seen at first hand the chaos and confusion, one can understand that a great number of people in Lucan and in the vicinity of the Ballyowen roundabout have lost a sense of hope that anybody can do anything about this.

I put forward a number of practical suggestions that could relieve some of that congestion and ease the movement of traffic in the short term. For instance, the Government is discussing with National Toll Roads the question of raising the toll barriers and the Government will decide on that matter, but surely a mechanism should be put in place so that when traffic backs up as far as the bridge, an arrangement would be made for the toll barriers to be lifted, which would ease the congestion in getting on to the M50 in the first place. It is obvious that when school term begins, up to 40,000 extra car journeys are made by parents delivering children to and from school. Perhaps in that area a specific facility for specialist school bus runs would be helpful in relieving that pressure and congestion. Will the Minister consider that those two suggestions are practical and implementable? I have a few more besides for him.

There are two aspects to this. Obviously, the Minister, the NRA, the traffic authorities concerned and the Garda look at any possible practical short-term measures that are realistic and viable. We all recognise that there is a particular problem but, unfortunately, when problems are highlighted people then suggest that no progress is being made on any front. As Deputy Kenny will be aware, there is a major investment plan for the upgrading of the M50, which the Minister for Transport is pursuing with the NRA, and we have seen such works being carried out successfully on other major routes such as the Naas Road.

While it is not for me to decry any suggestion that may come from anybody who is dealing with these matters — I am sure they can be looked at in a practical way by the authorities concerned — a genuine priority is being accorded to a major investment to increase capacity there. The suggestion that lifting barriers would deal with existing capacity rather than attract further capacity and cause further gridlock is another issue to which traffic management experts refer. There is no simple obvious solution to this problem. Changing the interchanges, widening the motorway and providing more capacity is the genuine solution and of course that takes time. In the meantime anything that can be done to alleviate what I acknowledge is a difficult situation can be considered.

I am not here to decry all the ongoing efforts. The Price family, for instance, as one of 100,000 families in that area, make the point that each week Catherine Price spends two and a half working days in her car and her husband spends another working day in his car. Three and a half days over 100,000 families equates to approximately €3 billion in terms of lost productivity, pressure on time etc.

By the end of this year the Government will have spent €173 million on quality bus corridors, but between 2000 and 2006 Dublin Bus was not given any additional buses. That is obviously a matter that should be dealt with. Having spoken to the drivers of Dublin Bus and of Morton's private buses, neither company has been able to get on to the quality bus corridor in that area. Commuters are being cheated on both fronts. If they take public or private licensed transport, they still cannot make any movement to get out on to the main road.

Will the Minister for Finance consider that immediate implementation of Operation Freeflow would be of assistance? Having gardaí at every relevant junction to keep traffic moving is important. The M50 is being upgraded but it will not be finished until 2011. When the Dublin Port tunnel opens it is expected that between 4,000 and 6,000 trucks will emerge on the platform to get on to the M50. With the work at the new terminal, this will obviously cause further congestion in that area.

Perhaps the following would be helpful. Immediate implementation of Operation Freeflow, allowing an extra 100 private licensed bus operators, another 100 buses in addition to those which have been spoken about by Government, and the immediate establishment of a Dublin transport authority for licensing so that people who want to use public transport or private licensed transport will have that facility. Having spoken to people at first hand, they will avail of such transport. The endless frustration and consternation experienced by so many people who just sit in their cars every morning and evening is unnecessary when in the immediate term the Government can take action which would result in an improvement in the situation.

I realise the Government is providing money for longer-term projects, but these will not bring results over night. The Government could implement five or six proposals immediately to ease this pressure and I recommend strongly that it does so.

Operation Freeflow is being co-ordinated currently and preparations are ongoing. It will come on stream in the usual way. The question of how it can be prolonged beyond the normal Christmas period is an issue for the Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Transport to consider.

The bus fleet has increased significantly. It is incorrect to say capacity has not increased in 2006. Almost 1,000 bigger and better buses have been brought into service since 1997 and the bus fleet is much more modern, efficient and effective. Capacity has increased by 40% in that time and, therefore, there has been a substantial renewal and increase in line with commitments under the national development plan. The subvention provided to Bus Átha Cliath has also increased significantly from €8.8 million to €70 million annually, which reflects increased capital investment and capacity. Under Transport 21, the Government has made a serious commitment to public transport as the best way to deal with the situation. An investment of up to €500 million is being contemplated in the bus fleet, quite apart from the major extensions of the Luas and the metro, which have proceeded to planning. The question of investment in public transport being a key to relieving the long-term problem is acknowledged in Transport 21. It is a central part of the investment framework going forward.

With regard to the more immediate issue, Operation Freeflow is being co-ordinated and preparations are concluding so that it can be undertaken in the normal way.