Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh. I dtús báire ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a thabhairt do gach duine a tháinig anseo inniu agus an imní a thaispeáin sibh go léir dúinn. Tá Sinn Féin i bhfabhar metro ach go háirithe táimid an-bhuartha mar gheall ar an bplean suíomh Mobhi a úsáid agus na himpleachtaí atá leis sin. First, I thank everyone for coming. This discussion was very valuable and is badly needed. When I was over in the Conrad Hotel at the consultation and I was talking to Mr. Creegan who was outlining the plan, the first thing that struck me was the Brian Boru issue about taking down or compulsorily purchasing the Brian Boru, Kelly's Carpets and the apartments there and the implications that would have. Whatever the implications that action would have, the residents have a lot to say about this issue and they will make their views known.

The first thing that really struck me was when he started describing the plans for Na Fianna grounds and Home Farm FC's grounds. I said to him straight away, and he will remember this, "that is not going to happen, that is not going to work".

I could not see any logic in it. I could not see any logic in destroying a whole community, which is what it would do, for six or seven years. If all that machinery and those works were to be put on that land, the club and a whole generation would be destroyed. Thousands of people use that area weekly. Moreover, the traffic on Mobhi Road is massive and is chock-a-block daily because I use it myself coming into Leinster House so I know what it is like. I go back to all the consultations we had with the metro north. I must have been at about 30 of them going back to 2010 or 2011, when it was scrapped. Millions was spent on the whole consultation. I never saw a full figure but it was very substantial. Then the plans changed whereby Drumcondra has been excluded and now we are going through Glasnevin. Whatever the reasons were for that are among the things we need to tease out. Why did this happen? I do not know what lessons we have learned from the previous consultations but we certainly need to consult with people. We must go to the ends of the earth in consulting with the clubs etc. I believe we have to look at alternatives and I do not think there is any way about it. Originally the plan was Albert College. I am not saying that is the right thing to do but originally that was the plan. We would operate from Albert College. How we got down to Na Fianna is still baffling. What is the problem about going to the north of Ballymun, up towards the airport, where there are virgin lands. The operation could be done from there. There might be engineering issues posed and it probably would be a little more difficult but it is not impossible that the work could be done from those lands. I know it was said that we do not want to discuss options but this is about options because the people here are clearly indicating they will not accept this. There are obviously concerns for other residents as to where tunnels will go under their properties etc and how that will be handled will all have to be addressed. I raised this in the Dáil and have been consulting with Deputy McDonald on what is going on and we both are in agreement that this site simply is not acceptable.

I know the Irish schools that are there. The three main schools; Scoil Mobhí, Scoil Chaitríona and the other college there will be absolutely decimated by this. I cannot get my head around the logic and how this idea was come up with to go on that site. I am still baffled by this. There are things we need to know. We need to know whether a traffic management plan has been put in place? Have we done an environmental impact statement, EIS, or are we about to do an EIS because the effects this will have are massive? I would have expected that something will be outlined on when an EIS would be done on this site. This term "the emerging preferred route", is one I always worry about because it tends to focus people into an area instead of giving them solutions. That is what seems to be happening. We seem to be focused on this being the only solution, that is, we operate from somewhere within the Glasnevin area and it is more convenient. My take on it from talking to people is that it is much easier to operate from the centre and work both sides and that is what the idea here is. That is why I have suggested that we should be looking north of Ballymun to see whether this would be suitable. I believe it can be done. We all know the benefits of a metro. People here are not saying they are against a metro but they are certainly not going to take it at any cost or at any cost to the community.