There has been a tendency for Ministers to make fine-sounding, forward-looking announcements when they are under political pressure. There comes a time in a term of office to articulate a fine vision. It distracts public attention and creates the impression of action.
Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, has shown his innovative spirit, and nerve, by raiding Fianna Fáil's election manifesto from 2002 and dressing up the establishment of a Dublin Transport Authority as his bright, new idea.
The need for an integrated approach to house building, job creation and public transport in the greater Dublin region has been recognised for at least 10 years. In the run up to the last general election, the Taoiseach announced that a Greater Dublin Authority, with a budget of €500 million and wide powers for strategic planning and transport provision, was the only effective way to deal with the plethora of agencies, including local authorities and public transport providers. Nothing happened.
At the moment, some 17 public bodies or companies are involved in Dublin transport and the Minister wants to make them answerable to a new high-powered organisation, along the lines of London Transport. A successful, integrated transport system for Dublin would, according to Mr Cullen, have to be branded as "Dublin Transport", with its own logo, no matter whether it was Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Metro, Luas or Dart.
Few would disagree that all elements of public transport in the capital should complement and support each other and that quality customer service should be made the over-riding priority. But we have a huge distance to go. The Luas lines do not join up. Dart and commuter rail services are only partially connected. There are insufficient buses. Park-and-ride facilities are inadequate. There is no integrated ticketing system. And a metro line, announced four years ago, is still on hold.
With an election on the horizon, the Government is preparing to unveil the details of a 10-year investment programme in public and private transport systems. Hopefully, it will have learned from the costly mistakes made under the National Development Plan and set realistic targets. But the signs are not reassuring. Planning by various departments, local authorities and transport agencies is still fragmented. And no real attempt has been made to control speculative housing on the outskirts of the capital. In the circumstances, Mr Cullen's proposal to deal with Dublin transport on a stand-alone basis may be the only practicable way forward. But it is a step backwards from the broader vision of a Greater Dublin Authority previously announced by Mr Ahern.