Stormy reception for revised Luas plan

The Government came under strong opposition attack during questions on its revised Luas light rail system for Dublin. Amid noisy exchanges, the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, denied that the W.S. Atkins report commissioned by the Government had been ignored. She insisted that the report had favoured the system going underground if "a long-term visionary view" was taken.

But the Fine Gael spokesman on public enterprise, Mr Ivan Yates, accused the Government of engaging in a "gutless" decision to avert any disruption on the streets of Dublin before the next election.

On EU funding, Ms O'Rourke said that she had always made it clear that it would not be the determining factor in making a decision on Luas. She would be working hard to ensure that "a reasonable proportion" of the £114 million in the funding committed by the EU would be used to address public transport requirements.

Mr Yates asked if the Minister had any idea of what was involved in building a tunnel under Dublin city. Did she know what the subsidence prospects were, or what the cost would be, and was she aware that tunnelling, notoriously, could run as a multiple of over-expenditure? Ms O'Rourke said that the Atkins report had made it clear that the Luas line would have a very limited impact on commuter congestion unless as part of an overall plan.

When she had come into the Department she had found that the north side of Dublin had not been included in phase one of the original scheme, and the current Government had rightly decided that there should be an integrated system.

Accusing the Minister of flippancy, Mr Emmet Stagg (Labour) said that while the debate was going on, Dublin city was choking alive. He said that the Minister had been gazumped by her own consultants because they did not bring in the report she wanted. And she had failed to get support for the report at Cabinet, he claimed.

"She has now decided to kill off Luas and replace it with a wish list of pious aspirations, without a plan, without a timetable, without a costing, and, in fact, without any money," he added. Mr Stagg said that the Minister had given a commitment that, irrespective of what was in the Atkins report, it would be implemented.

Ms O'Rourke said that the consultants had been given their terms of reference and had worked within them. She had not interfered in their work.

"You asked me was I gazumped at Cabinet. No, never, no never, never."

Mr Eamon Gilmore (DL, Dun Laoghaire) said he had never heard of a Government project which did not have some target dates. He challenged the Minister to give the House the actual estimated cost of the revised proposal.

Ms O'Rourke said that the project would be completed, "as soon as we can, and as quickly as possible." People would have to have their say through a public inquiry. The cost would be £400 million plus.

Mr Trevor Sargent (Green Party, Dublin North) said that the Minister should reveal the cost involved, because media reports had suggested figures between £600 million and £800 million.

After some further exchanges with Mr Sargent, the Minister remarked: "You are the party of the eco-warriors who lie in trees and shrubs waiting for people."

Later, on the Order of Business, the Fine Gael deputy leader, Mrs Nora Owen, demanded a special Dail debate on Luas, describing the Minister's performance as "shameless."