Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I believe the Deputy is overstating the situation somewhat in describing it as a war under way in regard to car users or the use of cars in the city centre. I have had the opportunity to meet many of the retailers concerned about these plans. I also am aware of the concerns of organisations which run car parks. The Deputy has pointed out that I represent many of the areas that are affected by this and I am aware of that.

In regard to my view on the matter, I support the objectives of Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority. The reason for this is that much of the work they are doing is driven by the fact that the cross-city Luas will be operational across the centre of the north side of the city in 2017 and, due to this change, there will be a need to make changes in how traffic flow is organised in the city centre, as has happened with the bus gate in College Green. One-on-one meetings are now happening directly with retailers and car park owners who could be affected by this change. I believe we can find a medium through which we can deal with the concerns they are articulating while protecting the huge investment of the taxpayer in the expansion of the Luas.

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