Vol. 512 No. 3
40 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her views on whether the siting of the end terminal of the Tallaght to Abbey Street Luas line at the Square in Tallaght will entice commuters to leave their cars on the outskirts of the city and use the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26055/99]
The light rail park and ride site at Tallaght will provide parking for 600 cars. There will be a 550 space park and ride site at the Red Cow. The availability of such parking will certainly promote the transfer of commuters from cars to public transport. There will also be a bus interchange at the Square in Tallaght to facilitate transfer from bus. From light rail usage in other countries, there is ample evidence to show that car drivers transfer to trams, considering them to be an attractive and practical alternative to city traffic congestion. I did not quite understand the Deputy's question but I am sure he will clarify it in a supplementary.
As I drove to Dublin over the past year, I thought it would be fantastic when the Luas came to Tallaght because I would be able to park the car there and head into town by train. However, I was in the centre in Tallaght on a Friday evening a few weeks ago and it is chaotic. In the meantime, I went through the reports and now realise CIE has a site in mind for parking. Perhaps that is the site to which the Minister referred in respect of the 600 car spaces. It strikes me that the Luas is for people from Tallaght and 600 spaces will not be enough to facili tate people from west and south Wicklow, the Minister of State's consituency, and from Carlow and Naas. If I have to go through the difficulties I went through in Tallaght, I will certainly not use the facility. Is it fair to say the Luas service is not for the commuter coming from anywhere south of Tallaght?
It is up to themselves. Perhaps the Deputy is moving to the Luas to Bray argument.
I have not moved over to that side yet.
He is coming to that.
I thought he was gearing up to it. Some 600 car spaces is a fair number and I am sure they will be used. Public transport is already over utilised before it gets moving. I agree with that. There will be 600 car spaces in Tallaght and 550 at the Red Cow.
Will those 600 spaces be provided in a multi-storey carpark? Has permission been granted for it?
I have no idea but I will find out and let the Deputy know.
On the construction of this Luas route, is the Minister aware that in today's newspapers there are horrendous and dire warnings of the traffic gridlock which will result from the construction of this element of the Luas? Would she care to offer the House any reassurance about how this might be minimised?
No. How could I? There will be horror stories. I laughed when works were being carried out on the line between Athlone and Roscommon. People roared and shouted; they wanted the line completed and £20 million spent. Some £20 million was spent but now people are crying because clearly one cannot construct a new line if one does not improve the old one. Deputy Yates cannot have it every way.
The Minister for disruption.
The Deputy is Minister for annoyance.
The Minister hopes to be somewhere else when it is being constructed.
Iveagh House.
I have no notion of Iveagh House. I would hate it; it would bore me.
