asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will consider setting up a committee consisting of representatives of his Department, CIE and the councils of the city and county of Dublin to examine the feasibility of reopening the Harcourt Street railway line; and if he will examine the possibility of setting aside annually a part of the revenue from the road tax now spent on roads for the purpose of financing the reconstruction of the line.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Harcourt Street Railway Line.
12.
I do not propose to set up a committee on the lines suggested by the Deputy.
A study is at present in progress under the aegis of An Foras Forbartha to examine in depth the transportation position, present and prospective, in South Dublin. The study includes within its scope traffic and transport in all its aspects and will, no doubt, cover any possible utilisation of the former Harcourt Street railway line.
In the latter connection, however, I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a previous question on 25th November, 1970 when I stated that I was advised by CIE that, apart from the physical and engineering problems involved, the information available regarding potential traffic from the areas formally served by the line showed that reopening would have little or no effect on the relief of traffic congestion.
With regard to the second part of the question, I presume that the revenue referred to by the Deputy is the proceeds of the increases in motor tax rates on private cars and motor cycles imposed under the Finance Act, 1966 and the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1970. Under existing law the disposition of this revenue is a matter for the Minister for Finance in the first instance.
It is like a Board of Works reply: it may be years and it may be never.
Is the Minister aware that this Harcourt Street line runs through the highly-populated constituency of South County Dublin and that there is every likelihood that the line would be used and used extensively if a political decision were taken to reopen it? Might I also assure the Minister that I am willing to wait for a week until after the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis if he will promise to announce its opening at that time?
That is a petty comment on a serious matter like this. There is a study in progress at the moment by An Foras Forbartha concerning the whole transport and traffic problem in South County Dublin, and I am awaiting that report. Certainly if what the Deputy suggests fits into that, well and good, but let us have it analysed in a scientific manner first.