It is acknowledged on page 38 of the programme for Government that this country's "national infrastructure compares poorly with the most advanced European countries". The programme contains a commitment to "increase capital investment in transport". The northern commuter line is operating at capacity. In the absence of a legal entitlement to family-friendly or variable working hours, it is no use telling people they can vary the times at which they travel to work. Large housing developments are planned in Lusk, Rush and Balbriggan. Will anything be done in the short term to increase capacity on the northern line? At present, it is full to capacity at peak times. I received reports this morning of people becoming unwell due to overcrowding on the trains. Additional carriages are needed in the short term. I accept that there is a plan, but that will not happen until 2027. We need additional capacity on the northern line in the short term.

It is absolutely the case that this country's infrastructure is not as good as it should be. We are a young country with an expanding population. We have only been wealthy for the past 20 or 30 years. We are well behind other European countries in terms of developing our public transport and railway systems. The metro systems in Paris and London were built over 100 years ago. We are only going to start building our metro system in the next couple of years. As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was underinvestment for several years of this decade. Things are now really kicking off in terms of transport investment.

As the Deputy is aware, earlier today the Government signed off on the new road to connect Westport and Castlebar. Over €200 million is being invested in a major road project in the west of Ireland.

That is not much use to people in Balbriggan.

The Luas expansion on the green line in Dublin is now well under way. The first of the extended carriages are arriving which will allow for a 30% increase in capacity on the green line. On the northern and western Maynooth lines, with which I am familiar, two projects are under way. The first is the ordering of hybrid carriages that will allow us to electrify the network. Unfortunately, however, these will take in the region of four years to arrive. The national train control centre project is now under way. Approximately €100 million is being invested in the latter and this will allow more slots and, therefore, more capacity on the northern and Maynooth lines. Unfortunately, in the meantime only investment in buses will make a difference. It will be a couple of years before rail services can be improved.