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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 9 Oct 2003

Vol. 572 No. 2

Light Rail Project.

Gabhaim buíochas don Cheann Comhairle as ucht an seans a thabhairt dom an cheist seo a ardu ar an bplean i gcomhar metro. Is olc liom nach bhfuil an tAire Iompair i láthair ach ar a laghad tá an tAire Stáit ó thuaisceart Átha Cliath inár measc agus tuigfidh sé go maith an argóint atá agam.

Swords is the capital of Fingal and it has public transport difficulties. It has a population of between 45,000 and 50,000 and it is growing very fast. The need for a metro is very strongly felt in the area. The Swords electoral ward includes the area of Donabate and Portrane which is currently evaluating an increase in population under a variation 34 plan which would increase the numbers to between 25,000 and 30,000. There is a proposal to sell St. Ita's Hospital and build approximately 2,800 houses on that site. Donabate on its own will have a population equivalent to Dundalk, and it is difficult to imagine Dundalk without a rail link.

The area of Kinsealy-Melrose was rezoned in the past to create a residential area which does not have good connections to its natural hinterland of Swords. It would also benefit from a rail link to Swords. Lusk has increased in size and there are proposals for a theme park on the style of Disneyworld to be situated there. There exists a large metropolis of population which is crying out for assurance from the Government that the metro plans which the RPA are recommending in its business case proposal will serve Swords. The Minister has asked the RPA to evaluate a line between the airport and Dublin city centre. It is very important that before mistakes are made which will have a long-term impact, the need for a metro link to Swords should be evaluated. It would be important for its own viability as well as for the population it is serving that Swords is included on that line connecting the city to Swords via the airport.

The Minister of State attends meetings on the north side and is aware that many housing estates in the Swords area are colloquially referred to as "hangars" because so many of the residents are airport workers. The viability of the metro will be greatly enhanced by ensuring that Swords is on that line. It will be vital to provide a park and ride facility to serve the many people working at the airport who come from north of Swords, Meath and Louth. I raised this issue with the Taoiseach in the House last week and he told me, understandably, that he is endeavouring to obtain the most cost-effective proposal. I appeal to the Minister to include Swords in that cost-effective proposal. The metro will not be cost-effective unless it runs to Swords, as the RPA business plan recommendation clearly bears out. I have doubts about whether the RPA was even privy to the information on the projected population growth in the Swords-Donabate-Lusk area. The RPA's conservative evaluation of present needs would provide justification for the extension of the metro to Swords. I was informed by the Taoiseach that the decision on the metro will come before Government in the next few weeks, in October. It is high time that we are given clear information and a clear understanding of the Government's position.

The people of Dublin, particularly Fingal, need to know if the Taoiseach will support the recommendation that Swords be included on that line. If Swords continues to be a difficult place to access because it does not have a metro service, I am sure the Minister for Finance as well as every other member of the Cabinet will realise that the cost to business will be very significant, and that should be part of the evaluation.

I thank Deputy Sargent for raising this issue. I am very sympathetic and supportive of the case he makes. We are very fortunate in having a strong leader of the country who is from the north side of the city. The Taoiseach is very supportive of this issue.

In January 2001 the Government decided that, given the costs involved, the metro network should be phased and the newly established RPA should prepare a business case and issue a call for expressions of interest. RPA completed this process and 22 companies are pre-qualified. In November 2002, RPA submitted an outline business case for a number of routing options with different costings. However, even the cheapest option was considered too costly, given the changed economic environment. RPA was asked to provide a more affordable option. It is fair to give credit where it is due, to the Minister, Deputy Brennan. He wanted to ensure value for taxpayers' money. He intervened and the RPA is now taking the Madrid experience into account.

The RPA submitted a revised proposal based on the above in June this year, which the Minister is evaluating. He intends bringing further proposals to Government in the coming weeks. The Deputy will be pleased to hear that the current proposal centres on a more direct and less expensive route to the airport as the first line of a metro network.

Not Swords.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Order, please.

The first line will go to the airport.

I want Swords on the first line.

The metro can reduce travel times and congestion, improve reliability, availability and quality of public transport and make it more attractive to car users. It has the potential to improve the quality of life for the people of Dublin and for those visiting on business or for tourism. Improved public transport is also important to the continued development of Dublin Airport as both an employment centre and a gateway to the greater Dublin area. Without additional public transport provision, the growth of Dublin Airport will be constrained.

Development of modern mass-transit projects also brings benefits in terms of the stimulation of new development of housing and employment in the catchment area. The wider metro network would service some key regeneration and development areas of Dublin. The RPA's proposal for metro line 1 is the first part of a greater metro and public transport network originally proposed in the Dublin Transportation Office's Platform for Change.

I want Swords to be on the first line.

The proposal is for a fully segregated metro serving the airport and communities along the route with an underground alignment in the city centre and a journey time of approximately 17 minutes from Dublin Airport to St. Stephen's Green.

That is no good to Swords.

The route runs for 11.4 kilometres from St. Stephen's Green to the airport. Interchanges are proposed with Luas line B at St. Stephen's Green and Luas line A at O'Connell Street, linking the metro with Busáras, Connolly and Heuston stations and more directly with DART and suburban rail through an underground link between D'Olier Street metro station and Tara Street railway station. Interchanges with bus services are also proposed at D'Olier Street, O'Connell Street and Dublin Airport.

Deputy Sargent referred to capacity. I am pleased to inform the House that estimated patronage for metro line 1 is 24 million passengers by 2016. The RPA has tailored its proposal to allow for this initial patronage level with the possibility of the metro being expanded in the future to cater for a capacity of up to 70 million passengers per annum. On metro line 1, airport patronage is likely to account for 32% of total passengers, reducing to 15% as the metro is extended in the future.

I agree with Deputy Sargent in supporting Swords and the other northside development areas. Swords is a large suburban town with no rail link to the city centre. Adding this rail link to the metro could increase forecast patronage by 15% and improve the economics of the broader metro project. There are also significant development opportunities which could contribute to the cost of the extension. The extension could be either elevated or at ground level, depending on the route chosen.

Deputy Sargent highlighted the importance of Swords to Dublin Airport and its employees. Many of the people working at the airport live in Swords and its environs. Metro would provide these people with a fast and frequent transport service to the airport. According to the Public Transport Partnership Forum report on improved access to Dublin Airport published last year, a metro link from Swords could also open up opportunities for park and ride facilities in the area for airport users and city centre commuters travelling to and from north Dublin and the north east of Ireland. While not part of the base case proposed by the RPA, it is the Minister's intention that this option will be kept open so that it can be assessed further as the competition proceeds.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Minister of State should conclude.

The estimated additional direct capital cost is approximately €200 million.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Minister of State should conclude. We must keep to the time limits on these matters.

The Minister believes that there is a strong case for an extension of the metro to Swords.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

We must conclude.

Swords should be put in the first phase.

The Dáil adjourned at 5.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 October 2003.

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