Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)

It is very welcome that we will have a planning decision by 30 September. The Minister is right that the decision to bring it to the Cabinet for gate 1 was really important. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, really assisted us in doing that. He came on site and examined the potential of it. I was pleased the Cabinet signed off on that.

Almost all the Luas projects that have happened have gone through the planning and procurement phase in one five-year cycle and in the second five years they have been constructed and delivered. That is where we need to focus now. We are looking beyond planning and procurement to the potential of the site. It has the potential to unlock more housing in the area, which is crucial. When we built Finglas west and Finglas south, there was a line through the middle of it. That line was intended for a railway project many decades ago. While this is being prioritised, there is a legacy here. This will deliver for our constituency. I want to ensure the Minister is aware of it, which he is, and that we keep the pressure on the NTA and TII to deliver it.

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