Sir, - A great day has dawned: we have had a positive decision to proceed with the long-promised addition to our infrastructure. This will even be integrated with our existing transport systems.
As a professional geologist, I understand that ground conditions may not be as ideal as might be desired. However, geologists have long been involved in assessing difficult geology in all manner of technically demanding situations around the world. These range from the highly faulted rocks at the eastern end of the Channel Tunnel, through the steep and complex terrain traversed by Alpine roads, the hydrothermal projects associated with volcanic conditions in places such as Iceland, the evaluation of oil and gas deposits kilometres below deep waters off the Irish coast, major constructions in earthquake-prone regions, to large dam projects in areas with major cave developments.
In all these situations professional geologists are able to assess the geological conditions and to provide their engineering colleagues with the data necessary to come up with the requisite solutions. It might be difficult, but it is not an insuperable problem to carry out geotechnical investigations of the route of the Luas.
In the past large civil engineering projects have been compromised by the lack of professional geological input. Witness the problems with building the plant at Aughinish, the pump-storage scheme at Turlough Hill, the collapse of railway lines and roads into underground cavities in various parts of the country.
There is an European system of professional accreditation for geologists through the title of European Geologist, provided by the European Federation of Geologists. This links into the local system, which here is the Professional Member of the Irish Association for Economic Geology. It should be a requirement of local and national government bodies that all such major projects should include detailed geological reports, signed by appropriate professional geologists. - Yours, etc., Gareth Li. Jones Bsc, MSc, PMIAEG
VicePresident, European Federation of Geologists, Windy Arbour, Dublin 14.