John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise a few other matters. I know the MetroLink document is only a summary. If we look at page 25, we see what TII and the NTA envisaged as the issues and challenges. They outline six of them. The sports clubs, the schools and the local community are not referred to. Heritage is mentioned very briefly, but they envisaged no impact on the local community in part 6 of this document, "Issues and Challenges". It says a lot to me that when they put this line together, no one looked and said, "Jesus, look where it is going." TII's and the NTA's issues and challenges are property acquisition; upgrading the existing green line; scheme traffic management; noise, vibration and ground settlement; materials and recycling; and cultural heritage. They need to address this strongly. I do take heart - and perhaps the members could clarify this - from the language in the report, such as "emerging preferred route". It is therefore not a final preferred route, and I hope the community can take some solace from that. What kind of alternatives are in place?

I was taken by all the submissions. TII and the NTA now have them, as does this committee. They are powerful testimonies. I do not want to highlight one above the other, but there were a few matters raised in the ACA contribution from Anu Meehan. I hope TII and the NTA will be flexible enough to take on board Ms Meehan's comments on the public consultation: "The period from the opening of the public consultation ... to the submission date of 11 May 2018 is extremely short for ordinary citizens affected by this to comprehend the complexities of the work ..., which took years to complete with experts and a large budget." What we have here are volunteers.

In fact, we have school principals who have much better things to do. Members of the committee can see the anxiety this is causing them from a future perspective. The time of those involved with sports clubs would be much better spent in dealing with the kids in their charge. They have had to employ professionals. The clubs are run on the money they raise through fundraising.

As Ms Meehan said, the NTA and TII are backed by a phalanx of professionals. They have dedicated employees who deal exclusively with this matter. They are up against ordinary citizens who have limited energy to give to this matter. Like the Chairman, I have seen this happen many times in projects of this nature. Volunteers can deal with one wave of activity of this nature, but it is extremely taxing for them to deal with big State organisations when they come wave after wave. That point is made in a paragraph in the document to which I have referred.

Ms Meehan made the point that the public consultation process should be extended. Those involved are not looking for a mad extension. The organisations need hand-holding by experts in the NTA and TII. Ms Meehan made another telling contribution when she said the website and the documents were sending confusing messages on a number of issues.

I assure everybody represented here that he or she will receive any assistance he or she needs from his or her public representatives. My party leader has visited the local area. I am happy to visit any of the schools and the site in question. I have been in contact with two public representatives, Councillors Paul McAuliffe and Mary Fitzpatrick. It has been clarified that the committee does not have statutory status in dealing with this issue. What alternatives are being considered? Any alternative will also have an impact, given that there is no action without an equal and opposite reaction.

I say to the representatives of the NTA and TII that a focus on public consultation and communications ought to be a huge part of what they do in the next decade. It would not cost a lot of money. I went to the Conrad Hotel for the launch of the project. It is not right that a huge number of people at the heart of the community found out about it when they heard rumours or read about it in the media. It seems that communication is not considered to be one of the priority challenges of the NTA and TII. I suggest it is possible that it will be one of the greatest challenges they face. The project cannot get off the ground without the goodwill of the communities represented here.