Tony Gregory
Ceist:27 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned at recent media reports that the proposed Liffey Tunnel project has not been fully and fairly evaluated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Dublin Port Access.
Ivor Callely
Ceist:43 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment his views on whether the development of the proposed northern leg of the port access and eastern relief route will increase efficiency, provide a more effective service and reduce costs for the hauliers who presently have to use inadequate residential routes for port access; and if he will support the development of the northern leg of the port access.
Proinsias De Rossa
Ceist:208 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for the Environment his decision on which option to adopt for Dublin's north city port access.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 43 and 208 together.
The draft final report of the Dublin Transportation Initiative recommends that access to Dublin Port should be tackled by a combination of management and infrastructural measures. These would involve the phased introduction of a heavy goods vehicle management system throughout the city, particularly in the city centre, and the construction of a single carriageway port access route — mostly in tunnel — from the north port to the airport motorway at Whitehall. It also recommends that the use of the route by private cars be tolled.
I am aware of the recent media reports on the evaluation of the Liffey Tunnel project. I understand that the DTI Study Team and Technical Committee took particular care to ensure that each of the three infrastructure options for access to Dublin Port was fully assessed on an equal footing. However, it would be inappropriate to comment further pending the completion by the DTI committees of their consideration of the draft final report and the formal submissions of the report to me.