Brennan fears for Luas but seeks review

THE £220 million Luas light rail project for Dublin is "now in jeopardy" because of a failure by the Minister for Transport, Mr Dukes, to "fast track" it, according to the Fianna Fail spokesman, Mr Seamus Brennan.

But at the same time Mr Brennan wants another review of the option of running it underground saying there is "a real need for a full independent assessment".

Speaking yesterday at the publication of an Ogra Fianna Fail document on the growing gridlock of Dublin's traffic, he condemned the Government's "persistent refusal" to commission an independent study of the underground option.

"The whole Luas system is now seriously threatened," Mr Brennan said. "Even the Government's institute, the ESRI, is "expressing concern about the project in a draft report which has not yet been published."

The projections of traffic levels in the year 2001 on which the Luas was based had already been surpassed and there were doubts that it would have the capacity to cater for peak hour demand on the Dundrum route, he said.

"It would be disastrous to build an on street system and then later, because of its inadequate capacity, have to scrap it in favour of and underground system at an extra cost of hundreds of millions of pounds," he said.

The Minister had "dragged his feet for six months" and was now running the risk that Brussels would "pull the plug" on the project because it would not be completed in time to meet the deadline to qualify for EU funding.

According to Luas sources, CIE is expected to make a formal application to Mr Dukes before end of this month seeking approval to proceed with the project. He would then order a public inquiry, probably in the autumn.

Mr Brennan said it was unlikely that construction work would begin until next year "at the earliest". This meant that the first two lines, serving Tallaght and Dundrum, would not be completed until 2001 "at least".