asked the Minister for Transport if he will name the personnel assigned to the Task Force on transportation which he has announced as an interim measure prior to the legislation establishing the Transportation Authority for Dublin.
18.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Transportation.
17.
asked the Minister for Transport if he would outline the functions which the Task Force on transportation in Dublin will be assigned as an interim measure prior to the legislation being introduced in the Dáil.
19.
asked the Minister for Transport if he will outline what relation the Task Force on transportation will have with the planning authority of Dublin City Council, Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire Borough Council in regard to transportation provisions, particularly road transportation in the Dublin area.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 17, 18 and 19 together.
Having considered the report of the Transport Consultative Commission, the Government decided to establish a Dublin Transportation Authority with overall responsibility for ensuring the integrated planning and operation of transportation in the Dublin region. The Government also decided to establish a task force to take the necessary steps to establish the Authority. Pending the establishment of the Authority, the task force is also being given responsibility for traffic management and for the further evaluation of road and rail investment plans in the Dublin area.
The following have been appointed to the task force: Mr. D. B. Fitzpatrick (Chairman) Assistant Secretary, Department of Transport; Mr. Tom Power, Principal, Department of Transport; Mr. Colm Ó Dochartaigh, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Environment; Mr. Michael Neville, Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance; Mr. Liam Breathnach, Assistant Secretary, Department of Justice; Mr. John Keane, Assistant Secretary, Department of Labour; Deputy Commissioner Laurence Wren, Garda Síochána and Mr. John Prendergast, Dublin Assistant City and County Manager.
The Government are anxious to make progress as rapidly as possible towards solution of Dublin's traffic problems. It was felt that in the short term the best way to make progress was through an action group such as I have now set up. No statutory functions are being vested in the task force. In the period prior to the establishment of the Authority the task force will function on the basis of the existing statutory functions vested in the various bodies represented on the task force. It will be a matter for the task force to evolve the most appropriate working relationship with these bodies.
I thank the Minister for his reply. To ensure that I heard him correctly, did he indicate in his reply that one of the functions of the task force will be to evaluate road and rail plans for the Dublin region? Do I take it that this body will have the final say in evaluating and consequently recommending the road proposals for the Dublin region?
I said, in my reply, further evaluation. The position at the moment is that any evaluation which has taken place and any decisions that have been made, or are on the point of being made, will be taken into account by the task force and they will operate within those constraints.
If the local authority within the functional area of the task force proposes to omit or include a particular road proposal, has the task force as presently constituted the power to reimpose or to exclude such a road proposal from a development plan?
The answer to the Deputy's question is no. The City Manager and the man who now represents him on the task force are fully aware that the task force are not considering plans that are on the point of being decided. They will be considering future road plans for Dublin, the situation being that if the Dublin City Council decide on a particular proposal the task force will operate within that framework. If they decide not to take that decision the task force will be in communication with the City Manager to know what future plans they have for roads in the Dublin area.
Question No. 20 for written reply.