Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Jul 1996

Vol. 467 No. 7

Written Answers. - Dublin Light Rail.

Seamus Brennan

Question:

404 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the sections of the Luas that may now go underground; the reason for his change of policy in respect of this underground proposal; and if he will give details of the contingency plans in place if the EU consultant study insists on the Ballymun line going ahead as part of the first phase. [14480/96]

Robert Molloy

Question:

416 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the length of time it would take to implement the Ballymun light rail transit system option; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14200/96]

Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Lowry)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 404 and 416 together.

There has been no change of policy in relation to the underground issue. It remains Government policy to implement and on-street light rail system, as recommended by DTI and recently endorsed by the Dublin Transportation Office. I have set out the reasons for this policy choice on numerous occasions and they include not only the questions of cost and economic return but also the issues of physical accessibility to public transport, and equitable sharing of road-space and personal safety. Nothwithstanding this policy position, I will be obliged to consider CIÉ's application for a light rail order on an objective quasi-judicial basis and to consider any submissions made to me.

During the public consultation process, a number of issues have emerged which the CIÉ project team decided merited further consideration. In its review of these issues, the project team is considering a range of possible alternatives to the original preferred technical route alignment. This may include the possibility of using very short underground sections to overcome particular local difficulties for example to underpass a very congested road junction or to resolve an especially intractable problem in a specific residential or commercial area. The project team will publish the results of its review and invite further public comment before deciding what option to include in its formal application for a light railway order.

During the public consultation process some people have argued that the light rail system should be underground in the city centre. While this is not in line with the Government's stated policy position, it is an issue which has been raised consistently during the consultation process and in Oireachtas debates. It therefore merits clarification. In the light of this and as part of its preparatory work for the inquiry, independent transportation consultants engaged by the CIÉ project team are carrying out an assessment of the implications of this alternative. I will instruct CIÉ to publish the findings of this work in due course. Those people who favour an underground alternative will be able to review the published findings and offer their views to the inquiry, which will be an independent and open forum.

In October 1994 the previous Government took a provisional decision to give priority to the construction of the Tallaght-Dundrum line. As a result of that decision the CIÉ project team concentrated on the preparatory planning work for the Tallaght-Dundrum line. Following the decision to conduct a comparative socio-economic evaluation of the Tallaght-Dundrum and Tallaght-Ballymun options, the CIÉ project team augmented its existing preparatory work by carrying out some additional studies directly related to the terms of reference of the evaluation. All of this was passed over to the independent consultants on their appointment. In addition the project team is carrying out a review of possible route alignments for the Ballymun line and will carry out some further preliminary planning work over the coming months. However, because the Tallaght-Dundrum line, in keeping with the previous Government's decision, has been subject to much more detailed planning to date than Ballymun, it is already clear that if a decision were taken to opt for the Tallaght-Ballymun line it would significantly delay the overall implementation of the initial two line phase of the light rail network. However, I again stress that the Government remains committed to the implementation of the core light rail network to Ballymun, Cabinteely and Tallaght.