Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I welcome Mr. Murphy and Mr. Creegan to the meeting. The main reason we invited them here is to discuss the city centre Luas works. However, there are wider issues to be discussed also. This is a good opportunity to discuss them. With regard to the Luas construction around College Green and on to Nassau Street, we are really contemplating a city centre construction site. I live in Raheny and travel across the city every day. Frequently I travel through the corridor in question. It is very problematic for pedestrians because the construction worker is actually on the footpaths also. There are very narrow passageways and barriers. A pedestrian needs to be quite wide awake when walking between College Green and Nassau Street. There are many tourists around and it may be confusing for them. Therefore, I am concerned about the safety aspect of the works. I am also concerned about the timescale for completion.

I was interested in what the delegation had to say about the construction of the Luas track down Dawson Street. Originally, it was proposed that there would be no Luas stop there for people going to the northside. As someone who lives on the northside, I believe that would be unacceptable. I am glad to see the delegates are working on determining the location for a stop. I do not know why somebody would have objected to one. I believe it would be in the interest of the commercial traders in the area to have a stop at the location originally proposed. I am glad this has been resolved.

I am glad to see that with the opening of the Rosie Hackett Bridge much of the pressure has been relieved, but only buses, cyclists and pedestrians cross the bridge. It does not have an impact on any other traffic trying to get around the city.

The Dublin City Manager is talking about extra cycle lanes on the quays. I am not opposed to cycle lanes because they encourage people to cycle, but I question the timing of having two cycle lanes on the quays when all of the other work is ongoing, including Luas construction work in particular. Whether we like it or not, there will be disruption for some time into the future; it would be better, therefore, to do one thing at a time. I am not sure if Mr. Murphy has a role in that regard, but I question the timing.

Mr. Murphy also raised the issue of rapid transit projects, including the Clongriffin to Tallaght route. Clongriffin is in my constituency and there is a bus service towards Tallaght. When the rapid transit project is implemented, will it mean an increased frequency of traffic? There is also a DART station in Clongriffin, but many people who use it complain about the frequency of services and the fact that not all trains stop there. It is a continuous local issue and people would find it more convenient if services were more frequent. However, others will need to use the bus service and one complements the other.

Mr. Murphy referred to heavy rail and the opening of the Phoenix Park tunnel. It is a long time since I travelled in a train through the tunnel, but I understand it is used by engines and coaches. It would be interesting if Mr. Murphy could arrange to bring members of the committee through it. As there are concerns about the condition of tunnel, perhaps a trip through it might be organised some day.

A heavy rail link with the airport from Howth Junction has been mooted a number of times. Irish Rail has made a number of proposals in that regard, but I do not think the project has reached approval stage. People living in Swords are concerned that if it were to go ahead, they would not have a metro service, but I do not see how one would exclude the other. Most international airports are served by mainline rail systems linked with the capital city. It would make sense, therefore, to have a mainline rail connection at Dublin Airport with links with Cork, Belfast, Galway and elsewhere. I would like to know Mr. Murphy's views on this suggestion.

Mr. Murphy also referred to the Luas. The number of accidents is a source of concern. There have been a number of serious accidents in the Abbey Street-O'Connell Street area. Recently there was a fatal accident when a car collided with a Luas tram. It went up on the footpath and a woman who happened to live in my constituency was killed. Are motorists failing to take care at traffic lights or is the current traffic light system insufficient to warn motorists of the dangers if they try to crash red lights when a tram is coming? In the recent O'Connell Street case, the inquiry found that the driver of the Luas tram had been at fault. This raises the question of how much safety training drivers receive. It is unacceptable that such accidents can happen, especially given the number of passengers on a Luas tram. On one occasion, when a Luas tram collided with a bus, a number of passengers on the bus were injured. There continues to be a safety problem, particularly in the Abbey Street-O'Connell Street area where there are many pedestrians. This matter needs to be examined.