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

I thank the Minister for his reply. He talks about the benefits of the success of the Luas cross city. Those benefits do not spread out to constituents of mine in Ballycullen, Scholarstown and Knocklyon because we are sandwiched between the red and green lines. That is a matter for another day but it is of significant and equal urgency. The Minister said the relevant authorities "are reacting". That is exactly what the Government is doing. It reacts and addresses the problems as they arise.

I am just a Joe Soap, an ordinary citizen. When the longer Luas trams are introduced, they will cross O'Connell Bridge every three minutes. Because they must clear the bridge, since they are longer than it, as the Minister knows, it will take between 55 seconds and 90 seconds for the Luas to cross O'Connell Bridge. If it takes a full 90 seconds to cross the bridge. That leaves one and a half minutes for all the traffic on both sides of the quays - including buses, which will have priority along with bicycles - to make its movements either across O'Connell Bridge or down the other side of the quays. That is even before private cars get to move. I therefore predict - I wish it were not so - that well in advance of 31 March, when longer Luas cross city trams are introduced, there will be chaos along the Dublin quays. This chaos is stretching right back and having a consequential impact on traffic coming from the suburbs north, south and west. Therefore, that the Minister says the authorities "are reacting" once problems arise is the very kernel of the issue.

One need not be a rocket scientist to have predicted that the success of Luas cross city, which I absolutely acknowledge, would have significant knock-on effects on pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, car users and buses. This simply does not seem to have been anticipated by the people who make plans for this city. This is before we even mention the chronic traffic congestion and gridlock building up on the M50, in the suburbs and in places such as I mentioned because of a chronic shortage of bus services in some cases, as in Ballycullen, Scholarstown, Knocklyon and other such areas. The situation cries out for forward planning, which is why I mention the Dublin transport advisory council. Given the fact that the Minister's Government has stated it will be six years before we get to consider a directly elected mayor, a director of traffic for Dublin, both city and the county, is very seriously and badly needed.

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