The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has appealed to critics of Dublin's light rail project to "give Luas a chance".
Speaking at a conference on logistics in Dublin Castle this morning, Mr Brennan said he had been assured by the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) that Luas would be "delivered on time and within the overall contract budget.
"The Luas light rail system will be enormously beneficial in reducing the numbers of cars coming into the centre of Dublin," Mr Brennan said.
"Today I would like to appeal to all those committed to improved transport services in Dublin to give the Luas a chance," he added. Mr Brennan went on to say that congestion was a issue that must be addressed as a "matter of urgency".
"Congestion severely hinders the efficiency of public transport and dilutes the beneficial impact of major improvements on the roads network.
"The Dublin Port Tunnel, Luas, completion of the M50 and other major road networks and the proposed Metro link from Dublin Airport to the City Centre will combine to offer relief," he said. "They are not a cure-all but they will help".
It emerged this morning that Mr Brennan has been told that raising the Tallaght Luas line "on stilts" over the M50's Red Cow roundabout could take up to two-and-a-half years and cost at least €50 million.
In its response to Mr Brennan's request to consider the proposal, the RPA warned the timescale would be "significantly increased" if a new public inquiry had to be held. It said there were two options - either to delay the opening of the Tallaght line, or at least the part that would be affected, until the work was done, or to complete the line as planned and then close it later.
In a document obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the agency notes a feasibility study by consultant engineers O'Connor, Sutton, Cronin had concluded that each of these options were "unpalatable".
The Green Party later called on the Minister to scrap his "madcap" idea of putting the Luas on stilts to cross the Red Cow roundabout.
The party's transport spokesman, Mr Eamon Ryan, said: "The Dublin Transportation Office have looked at the traffic light system and they believe that Luas trams can get through the Red Cow roundabout junction when lights arered without affecting traffic flows.
"The Green Party are now calling on Minister Brennan to complete the Luas project as quickly as possible.
"In the meantime the Minister should concentrate on instigating a new Light rail order to allow the two Luas lines to connect in the city centre.
"The full designs for such a connection are already in place so it could be built long before the Minister leaves office."
