Vol. 371 No. 5
asked the Minister for Communications whether the Dublin area rapid transport system is to be extended to any new areas in the Dublin metropolitan area; if so, if he will specify the areas in which such an extension is proposed; and the date on which it will be proposed.
11.
asked the Minister for Communications if he will sanction the proposals from Córas Iompair Éireann for the extension of the DART to other parts of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together.
There are no proposals before my Department for the extension of the Dublin Area Rapid Transit system to any new areas in Dublin.
Any proposals for such an extension would have to be considered in the first instance by the Dublin Transport Authority in the light of the transport requirements of the Dublin area as a whole.
Given the fact of a dispersed residential development prevalent in the Dublin area and the very high costs that rail-based options involve, all possible options — including bus-based options — will fall to be considered by the Authority. In November last the Authority were requested to give priority to the question of public transport services to be provided for the developing areas of the suburbs and whether such services should be provided by rail, road or busway.
Could the Minister advise us whether the Dublin Transport Authority have yet considered the question of the extension of the rapid rail system to Tallaght, for example, which we were told as late as September 1986 was a priority for CIE themselves?
As their brief is to consider both rail and bus options, I would say that those two systems are under consideration by them. That is my guess as to what exactly they are studying now. They have the total brief with regard to transport to those areas and they have been asked to consider the various options.
In view of the outstanding success that the Howth-Bray line has represented for CIE, will the Minister accept that it must rank in preference over the development of bus routes in terms of serving the developing areas on the perimeter? Will he advise us whether the areas of Malahide and Portmarnock constitute portion of the development areas to which he has referred? Will the north side of the city be considered and not just the west or south-west areas?
The fact is that the Howth-Bray venture was a great success, despite a lot of criticism. I was very pleased to be in Government to vote for it when it was proposed. We now have the Howth-Bray system upon which we can make judgments. The Dublin Transport Authority will be able to study the system in action and this will be very helpful to them. The general lines of my reply still hold, namely, that the Dublin Transport Authority will be looking at the total system and recommending which system, in their opinion, is best for the development of suburban transport.
Will the Minister expand the developing areas in respect of the north city?
I am calling Deputy Lawlor.
While I appreciate that the Minister referred in his reply to the dispersal of population, I would ask him to recognise that there is a substantial population build-up in the satellite towns of Clondalkin, Lucan, Blanchardstown and Tallaght, each of which is projected to have a population of 100,000 by 1991. The options for rapid rail transport are quickly closing off and it does not really need further study for definite decisions to be taken to provide a commuter rail service to the satellite towns. I appreciate the point about the dispersal of population to other parts of Dublin but those satellite towns are in urgent need of linkage to the DART system.
I accept the Deputy is specifically concerned with the Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and Blanchardstown areas and I accept that Deputy McCartain is particularly concerned about Malahide and Portmarnock. All those are areas which must come in for consideration by the Dublin Transport Authority, having regard to an efficient transport system at a cost that can be afforded.
In view of the Minister's remarks about the success of the DART, could he indicate the average taxpayers' subsidy per passenger journey on that system? Could he give similar information in regard to the average taxpayer's subsidy per passenger journey on the bus system?
These are separate questions, Deputy.
Will he indicate if, in fact, the subsidy for the bus service is a fraction of the subsidy in respect of the DART?
The Deputy may not continue along those lines.
I submit, with due respect, that the Minister made a statement entirely of his own volition——
The Chair is concerned about the subject matter of the question.
——that he had made up his mind in regard to this matter.
The Deputy is talking through his hat.
I was merely inquiring, Sir, if all the relevant factors had been taken into account by the Minister, including the cost to the taxpayer, before coming to this decision.
The Deputy may table separate questions.
There has been no decision and the Deputy knows that well.
A relevant question, please.
The Minister mentioned that the Howth-Bray line has been a great success. What are the criteria? Are they financial criteria?
When I meet a citizen who says that it is the most delightful transport system that has become available in the country for some time, I take that as the best possible tribute to the success of that system. And there are thousands of such citizens.
Will the Minister not agree there are certain things that should be considered in adjudging the particular project a success? For instance, has it reached its passenger targets? What is the subsidy per passenger journey? How does that compare to the subsidy per passenger journey on the bus system? How convenient is it for the travelling public? Surely these criteria should be considered?
The Deputy told me how successful all those things were and I, in my innocence, believed him.
I would point out to the Minister that the original DART service was to run from Howth to Greystones but for various reasons when his Government were in office the decision was taken to stop in Bray. Does he intend to extend the line a further three miles to Greystones as envisaged in the original plan, because of the severe traffic congestion in Bray as a result of people from that area, which has a 20,000 population, coming into the town? The streets are filled with cars which are left there all day. It certainly seems sensible to continue with that proposal, which was the first one made.
I am being ringed with steel at the moment. Deputy Roche and Deputy Kavanagh have already made representations with regard to that extension. I have no plans to extend it to Greystones as of now.
