Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 June 2005
27 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Transport the research that has been carried out on the proposed new Luas Line to Rathfarnham as was recommended in the Dublin transportation platform for change transport plan 2002; if a preferred route alignment has been identified; and the estimated cost and timescale for the construction of the project. [21098/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is preparing a ten-year transport investment framework. The draft framework takes account of the work done on investment priorities under the current capital envelope to the end of 2009. It also takes account of the various strategic studies completed by the Department and its agencies, including A Platform for Change which recommended, among other things, the development of a new light rail line to include Rathfarnham.
An outline of the draft ten-year transport investment framework is under consideration by the Cabinet committee on infrastructure, housing and PPPs. I will bring specific proposals to Government in due course once the Cabinet committee has concluded its work.
It would be nice if the Minister answered the question. Has his Department done any research since the study, A Platform for Change, was produced in 2002? The Government approved it as official policy, within which an indicative timescale was included. This Rathfarnham Luas line, which would connect with the Dundrum line, through the connectivity about which the Minister spoke earlier, would commence, possibly, in 2006 and be completed by 2010. Given that the Government has officially approved this route, that it has an indicative timetable and the broad research on it is done, what further research has the Minister done on it? Has he an estimated cost on the proposal and when does he think it can be completed? As the Minister has not answered my question, I presume he has not got those details. How can he consider this project as an example within the ten-year frame if he has not done the detailed cost and route analysis to work out whether it is one of the projects that should go ahead?
As a Deputy for the area, I think the route should go ahead. From my awareness of the logjams day in and day out in the area, I think this project would give a much better return than many of the mad, over-designed roads being built around the country. This route, like the hugely successful other Luas lines, would carry tens of thousands of people in and out of Dublin every day. The Government has officially approved this route as evidenced by the plan approved before the last election and the initial route work has been done by the DTO. Has the Minister followed up on that and done the detailed cost estimates and research so that it can be included in the ten-year plan?
I will not get into the detail of individual projects in the House in advance of publication of the plan, despite the many of my colleagues who have been pressing me on various projects.
This project was already in the five-year plan.
The RPA is charged with the roll-out of the Luas. It has been talking to all of the local authorities and has assessed the cost effectiveness of many different options throughout Dublin. Some, obviously, appear far more cost effective than others. There is a great willingness on the part of the private sector to invest substantially in Luas lines in different areas, which is extremely helpful to the State. The more money we can get into these projects from the private sector, the greater number of projects we can deliver. In terms of the technical and financial assessment of the projects, the RPA is charged with that.
I do not presume to pre-empt the Minister's decision, and as the Minister, it is his decision. I simply want to know if the Minister has a projected cost for this project and if so, what is it?
Many of the Deputy's constituents, from all parties, have been on to me about how valuable is this project. The RPA is carrying out its assessments on a myriad of projects on the Luas lines in Dublin, some of which we have asked specifically about. It must cost some of them and ensure they stand up and are deliverable. In advance of the final decisions being taken in Dublin, I will not comment on any specific route. I will not go further than I have gone this afternoon with the Deputy.
I asked the Minister earlier about the map on the Department's website, a copy of which I downloaded and have here. This map has been on the website since before 2002; it was the 2002 pre-election transport stunt. What is the status of this map? It shows Rathfarnham linked by metro to Bray and northside to Finglas and Dublin Airport. As it is on his website, will the Minister tell us about its current status? Is it fantasy or was it just an election stunt in 2002? Why is it still on the website and does it mean anything? Does the Minister intend to implement it?
That proposal would not be adequate now to meet the needs of what is required for Dublin. I am in the process of substantially enhancing some of the projects outlined on that map. The two Luas lines are up and running with substantial passenger numbers. The public sees Luas as very successful and wants more. We are trying to finalise the marrying of Luas, possibly metro, DART, intercity trains and buses, and bus lanes etc. into a cohesive outturn for delivery of public transport in Dublin. I hope one of the consequences of this will be to reduce traffic in the centre of Dublin and provide public transport as the real alternative. Some people will like that. The reality is that we must also manage the traffic in Dublin and elsewhere.
I am quite appalled to hear that the RPA is assessing projects that were the basis of the Minister's election platform in 2002 as projects that had been selected and agreed by the Government. This morning I got on the Luas at its third stop at 8.15 a.m. At every stop after that people were turned away because the line was at capacity. The Rathfarnham line, to which my colleague referred, feeds into that line. Is it not true that the Rathfarnham line cannot go ahead unless there is an upgrade to metro? That is the only way we can have that line. Given that is the case, can the Minister give us a timescale for the Rathfarnham line?
I congratulate the Deputy, as she certainly knows what she is talking about. That is one of the key issues. It regards segregation and non-segregation and how the two can work together or whether they can work cohesively. I am happy that the evidence presented to me is that they can, and we have good examples of that from Germany. The Deputy is right. We can get greater capacity on metro type carriages and with a metro type system than on Luas. We can also get far higher frequencies on it. Metro carriages are up to 100 m long as opposed to the current length of Luas carriages, which is approximately 35 m.
When will the Minister do it? We know all this.
I am trying to indicate by my answer that I am engaged on this. I have learnt much in recent few weeks. I have listened to Deputies Olivia Mitchell and Shortall, who lead on these issues more than others, but their questions are not easily answered. The Deputy knows that as well as I.
The transport budget for the country is not limitless. No matter what substantial projects we carry out over the next ten years, every wish list cannot be accommodated in our economy, even if we shut down all resources into education and health. The balance of what I have picked up, particularly from those who promote the excellent platform for change argument, is an emphasis on an integrated network and public transport rather than roads, as Deputy Ryan has been suggesting for some time. I hope we will have this shortly.
The Minister's flattery of some of the Opposition spokespersons on transport is truly touching — such a great meeting of minds.
It was an honest assessment. I am damned if I do and damned if I do not.
I would worry if I were Deputy Mitchell at getting such flattering compliments from across the floor. I will move away from questions about a specific project. Six additional Luas lines were to be built as part of the platform for change. The Minister says the RPA is looking into this area. Did the Minister instruct the RPA to look at all six and come up with detailed costings and route analysis for each of them? After he has made his decision on which ones to select, will the Minister make available the costings on the route alignments to assist Deputies here, when there is a change of Government after the next election, to possibly revise some of the ten-year timetable? Hopefully, we as a future democratically elected Government will be able to do that.
I doubt that day will ever come. However, I look forward to seeing how the different approaches between the three parties will be resolved in the area of public transport. To answer the question, I have asked all of the bodies that have proposed projects to do assessments for me. On a number of routes there were proposals for DART, metro and other conflicting modes of transport. Obviously, we want to get the most efficient and best mode of transport. The possibility of some new Luas lines is more advanced than others for a myriad of reasons. They may be more obvious and we could probably deliver them more quickly and easily. We may be able to overcome difficulties with other routes by doing something with metro or otherwise, but we will wait to see the outcome of the assessments.
