The W.S. Atkins study, a comparative analysis of surface and underground options for Dublin's light rail system, arose from a commitment in the Fianna Fail-Progressive Democrats Action Programme for the Millennium following last June's general election.
It pledged to commission a study of the option of putting the system underground in the city centre. And last October the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, appointed the British engineering consultants to carry out a comparative evaluation.
The consultants, who received some 30 submissions from interested parties, were asked to identify the option - surface or underground - which (1) best contributed to the overall transport needs of the city, and (2) best provided the capacity to meet long-term passenger demand.
The brief required them to compare two options: a surface option based on the CIE proposal for two lines linking Tallaght and Dundrum with the city centre, and an underground alternative selected by the consultants using their own professional judgment.