asked the Minister for Local Government if it is the intention of his Department to set up a Greater Dublin Transport Authority in view of the desirability that such an authority be urgently set up to control and co-ordinate public and private transport in the region.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Traffic.
85.
The establishment of an authority on the lines suggested is not contemplated by my Department. As the Deputy is probably aware, there is a committee representative of the Dublin local authorities, the Garda Síochána, CIE, and of my Department which co-ordinates the activities of these bodies in relation to Dublin traffic.
86.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the position regarding the implementation of the traffic plan prepared by Dr. Schaechterle for Dublin Corporation.
87.
asked the Minister for Local Government whether there are any plans to ease the traffic situation in Dublin.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 87 together. The position in regard to the Schaechterle studies on the Dublin street system was dealt with in considerable detail in the reply to a previous question by the Deputy on 30th October, 1969. Since that date Dublin Corporation have continued to press forward with the planning and execution of measures based on this and other studies aimed at the improvement of traffic conditions in the city.
The scheme for the control of on-street parking in the central city area by means of parking meters has been introduced. Arrangements have been made by the corporation for the licensing of the use by private operators of a number of central sites as off-street car parks. Some of these sites are available only on a temporary basis pending development for other purposes and the corporation are considering the recommendations of the traffic consultant for the location of a more extensive system of permanent off-street car parks. Works are proceeding, or have been approved on traffic management schemes to improve traffic flows on a number of the main traffic routes. These works include improvement of junctions, provision of bus lay-bys, installation of traffic signals including linked light systems, re-siting of bus stops and street widening. Proposals for a number of other routes are being prepared by the corporation. Approval in principle has been given for the provision of pedestrian underpasses at O'Connell Bridge.
Traffic management schemes of the foregoing type aimed at getting the maximum use of the existing street network will continue to be developed to the fullest extent. At the same time a programme of road construction works is being planned and executed to meet long term needs, within the limit of the resources available. A contract has been placed for the improvement of St. John's Road, to dual-carriageway standard, from Heuston Station to the Islandbridge Road. Proposals for the widening of Heuston Bridge are at tender stage. The detailed design of the inner tangent ring scheme is proceeding and consultants are being engaged to examine traffic management arrangements within the ring and to examine alternative lines for particular sections of the ring. Consultants have been appointed to advise on the design of the proposed new Liffey Bridge near the Custom House and test borings are being carried out in connection with this project.
Consultants have also been appointed to carry out a feasibility study on a further down river crossing on the Macken Street line. Approval in principle has been given to a proposal for the construction of a new coast road from Sandymount to Merrion. Approval has also been given to plans for the improvement of the Stillorgan Road from Nutley Lane to Foster Avenue, including an overpass to the UCD campus at Belfield. The five year programme outlined in the Dublin draft development plan includes a number of other construction proposals, aimed at improving the city network.
I must, however, repeat what has been said in the previous reply that the implementation of these plans must be related to the financial resources that can be made available, and that in the allocation of these resources regard must be had to the needs of other areas.
That is a very lengthy reply and all I could hear was that consultants were being appointed everywhere. The Department are talking about a bridge over the Liffey. From the time I was a child they have been talking about that bridge. They are talking about underpasses in the centre of the city. They have been talking about them for over 25 years and nothing has been done. That reply is a lot of nonsense.
The Deputy is making a statement.
I am asking the Minister if he will give a more realistic reply than that there are consultants being appointed. We have had too many consultants being appointed down through the years. That is where the money is going and nothing is going into the implementation of the proposals.
Maybe Deputy Dr. O'Connell would come up with his own scheme and then we would not have to employ consultants.
The Garda Síochána are being hampered. They have done everything they could possibly do with the introduction of one-way traffic and they can do nothing further. What I want to see is some implementation of proposals. When will this underpass be constructed?
I have gone to the trouble of giving a detailed reply to the Deputy.
When will this underpass in the centre of the city be implemented?
I have approved in principle the provision of an underpass in the O'Connell Bridge area of the city. The Dublin Corporation must now proceed with planning and estimation of the cost and must then put a firm proposal before the Department. We have given them the authority to go ahead and do this.
When does the Minister think it will come into operation?
If I am asked a reasonable question I shall certainly answer it.
I am asking the Minister would he have any idea when we might see the underpass at O'Connell Bridge. Could I ask him further how many proposals are lying in pigeonholes in the Department in relation to this underpass?
Question No. 88.
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, this is an important question. You know the traffic situation in Dublin.
The Deputy has asked several questions.
When does the Minister think this underpass will come into operation? Will it be in the Minister's lifetime?
If the Deputy was reasonable it might encourage reasonableness from the person to whom he was addressing his questions. I do not think the Deputy's approach is conducive to a reasonable answer.
Would the Minister have any idea?
I have given the Deputy a fairly detailed summary of much of the work which is proceeding at the moment in relation to improving the traffic situation in Dublin city, about which I am concerned. I should like to see all of this work carried out as soon as possible. There are restrictions such as availability of finance and waiting for consultants to finalise their plans. As soon as Dublin Corporation can get their plans through to the Department I shall give them the most favourable consideration in the light of the amount of money that is available to me. I am most anxious to make a major contribution towards solving this traffic problem as quickly as possible.
The Minister will agree there have been many proposals in regard to traffic?
The Chair is calling No. 88.
88.
asked the Minister for Local Government what plans are in hand for traffic control and the provision of pedestrian crossings at Cherryfield and Hollybank Avenue, Sandford Road, Ranelagh, Dublin.
The provision of traffic control devices, including pedestrian crossings, is a matter for the local authority acting at the request, or with the consent of the Garda Commissioner.
The Ranelagh route has been the subject of a traffic management study carried out by consultants for Dublin Corporation. The consultants did not recommend the provision of pedestrian facilities at either the Hollybank or Cherryfield junctions and the corporation do not propose to provide such facilities at those points. Traffic light signals with pedestrian phases are, however, to be provided by the corporation at the nearby junction of Marlboro Road and Sandford Road.