In October 1999, plans were first drawn up for a ring road around Galway. Here we are, more than 24 years later, with more than €40 million spent and we still do not even have planning, never mind a ring road. Traffic has more than doubled in those 24 years, and there is increasing anger in Galway about the traffic situation and the lack of progress on finding a solution. More than 100,000 traffic journeys are made on the city's road network every day, on roads that are just not able to cope with the traffic volume. Galway city is slowly becoming a car park, if it is not one already.

The commuters who are stuck in traffic every morning and every evening trying to get to and from work are getting extremely frustrated at the lack of progress on a proposed ring road for Galway. People are late for work, students are late for college and patients are missing hospital appointments. I am getting calls every day from frustrated drivers, as I am sure my Oireachtas colleagues in Galway are too. One commuter has told me that in the past ten years, it has taken him double the time to travel to work. One local developer in Annaghdown, east of the city, who is doing a major development in Bearna, west of the city, told me it is taking him up to three hours to get to the site each morning with traffic. A person can commute from Galway to Dublin in less than two hours, and it takes nearly three hours to cross Galway city. The carbon footprint, with all the cars and HGVs stuck in traffic morning, noon and night, is huge.

In the Gallery today is Councillor Donal Lyons, who was twice elected mayor of Galway city and is currently the deputy mayor. Councillor Lyons is a very strong advocate for the ring road, along with his colleagues, and he is very frustrated that after 24 years, we do not even have planning. Businesses in Galway city are very worried that the lack of progress on a ring road will have a negative effect on them and they are demanding that progress on the planning decision happen urgently. In Parkmore, where most of the multinationals are based, they have to stagger their starting and finishing times to facilitate the workers. The people of Galway are saying enough is enough and they want action.

The question I am asking the Taoiseach is not from me but from the tens of thousands of people who are stuck in traffic morning, noon and night. Will he, as Head of Government, take charge of this project, work with all stakeholders involved and get this project through the planning process as a matter of urgency?

As we are discussing matters Galway, it would be good to put on record the fact today is a good news day for investment in Galway, with a total allocation of €1 million confirmed for the east Galway sports campus, €2.5 million for the Renville sports and community centre and €20 million for the sports ground redevelopment at Connacht Rugby. The Deputy and I have been strong supporters-----

I welcome that.

-----of that project for quite some time, as are the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, Senator Kyne, Deputy Ó Cuív and everyone in the area, and I am really glad that money is confirmed for Galway city and county. Of course, it is not just about rugby or sports. This will also be an important and much-needed events space and conference centre in what is the fabulous city of Galway.

One thing that would make the city even better would be the construction of the Galway ring road, and I am a supporter of the project. I cannot interfere in the planning process, but I am glad to see it is back before An Bord Pleanála. I hope it can make a decision soon, thus allowing us to go to tender, always aware there is a risk, of course, of a judicial review, which is why these things need to be done carefully and properly.

I know that some people will argue the Galway ring road is contrary to our climate action plan. I do not believe that is the case. I believe the construction of the Galway ring road will free up the city and road space within the city for pedestrians and cyclists, making it more attractive to residents, tourists and investors. I also take the view that by the time it is built, and we know it will take many years to build, most of the electricity we produce in this country will be from renewables and many more people will be using electric cars and other electric vehicles.

Therefore, the argument that building this road will mean more fossil fuels and more greenhouse gases being emitted in the environment is, I think, a weak one. When we take into account the improvements to the public realm and life within the city, the reduction in through traffic, better air quality and the electrification of our energy system and the increased uptake of electric vehicles, I would argue this project is not contrary to our climate objectives. I do know, of course, that any major road construction project has an impact on the environment, but having visited the site of the Ballyvourney-Macroom bypass and having seen it completed, I was interested to learn how much building techniques have changed and how things can be done in a way that has a lesser impact on the environment than was the case in the past.

I welcome the announcement made this morning regarding the additional funding for Connacht Rugby to develop the sports ground and of the €420,000 for the Renville sports project.

Some 54 homeowners are caught up in all this. They are technically prisoners in their homes. They have been waiting for years for a decision to be made on whether this project will go ahead. This is wrong. It is unfair to these people, many of whom are elderly. They are stressed about this. The people of Galway are asking how it is that so many other bypasses and road projects have been designed, funded and completed during that time and they still do not have planning permission for a ring road in Galway.

I am not asking the Taoiseach to interfere in the planning process. I know he cannot. I am only asking him to contact An Bord Pleanála to expedite the decision for the people of Galway. If the decision is that the road will go ahead, we need to build it immediately. This cannot be allowed to drag on any longer. The people of Galway will not take it. Galway city is practically a car park now morning, noon and night. People are getting extremely frustrated. I ask the Taoiseach, as Head of Government, to get involved, lead this and get this much-needed project through the planning process and built.

I will be in Galway on Monday morning and will have the great privilege of officially opening the Moycullen bypass. It is a project I was involved in initiating when I was Minister for transport. At the time, we thought it might be possible for the ring road and Moycullen bypass to be built at the same time, so I understand the frustration people must feel that one part is done and the bigger part is not. We know the backstory to this. Planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála. It was struck down by the High Court. The application is now before An Bord Pleanála again.

As regards delays, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and I met the chairman and chief planner of An Bord Pleanála in the past week or two and asked them what they needed to ensure decisions on major public infrastructure projects are made more quickly, not only on this project, but on projects such as BusConnects, the DART extension that is important to my constituency and MetroLink. We are doing what they asked for. They now have a full complement of 15 board members and more than 300 staff and they will be able to take on more staff. From next week, the new planning and environment division of the High Court will sit for the first time. That means that if an application goes to judicial review, the case can be heard and decided on more quickly than was the case in the past.