asked the Minister for Finance if he will arrange for his Minister of State at the Office of Public Works to accept a personal invitation from Deputy Jim Mitchell to meet him on any weekday morning in the near future at 8 a.m. at Castleknock Village, Dublin 15 to see the way in which the closure of White's Gate and other road closures in the Phoenix Park have exacerbated the already grave traffic problems in the area.
Written Answers. - Dublin Road Closures.
78.
The closure of sections of minor roadway in the Phoenix Park and also the closure of the Whites Gate entrance during peak hours accord with recommendations of a Study Group on Traffic in the Phoenix Park which produced a report in 1985. This Study Group, was comprised of representatives of Government Departments, the Local Authorities and State bodies with an interest in traffic in the area.
Five sections of minor roadway in the park have been closed permanently to vehicular traffic in the last year. The purpose of these closures is to bring land masses together for the enjoyment of the public, to lessen the impact of through traffic on the park's amenities and to reduce the accident possibilities at junctions to the main road.
The closure of Whites Gate during peak hours, was necessary to curtail the serious level of traffic accidents occurring at Mountjoy Cross junction. Accident reports received from the Gardaí show this junction to be the most dangerous in the park.
I understand that Dublin County Council are undertaking traffic counts to assess the impact of the closure of Whites Gate on the roads outside the park. The Commissioners are monitoring the situation within the park and will keep the matter under review. The proposed meeting would serve no purpose particularly when the effects of the closure are still being examined.