Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the matter of the DASH project, which relates to the mobility access works being carried out at DART stations throughout Dublin. Initially, the contractors working for Iarnród Éireann promised that the work on the south side of Dublin would be carried out in one tranche within a nine to ten-month period. We were told that following a long public consultation period. As a public representative I co-operated with that consultation as I understood the important nature of the works. However, it emerged soon afterwards that a second tranche would be required.

Needles to say, people living on the south side of the city were badly inconvenienced but nobody complained much because they understood that a great public amenity was being provided. They understood the advantage for public transport and the inconvenience was borne well by everybody. When it was announced that a second tranche was required, we naturally wanted to know why. It has since emerged that the reason for the closures, which are to take place at weekends on the south side of the city in June, July and August, is the failure by some group of people in Iarnród Éireann to recognise the need for planning permission with regard to building works on bridges associated with southside DART stations. We are being asked to accept that the cost of this public failure is to be met from the pockets of private traders, people who will lose business. Blackrock, Dalkey, Sandycove and Dún Laoghaire will also lose, for the second time, the tourist trade which arrives into those villages throughout the summer.

We understand the value of the public amenity to be provided, which will ensure wheelchair access to the DART service. Unfortunately, nobody has been straight with the people affected. Nobody has been clear with regard to what is causing the delays. It now emerges that there is a possibility of a third closure, which is why I raise this matter in the Dáil. If there is no guarantee that this third closure will not take place and that the work will be completed in June, July and August, I support the view that the work should be postponed until perhaps February of next year. It is unacceptable to have this situation arising over and over again.

This situation arises because An Taisce has appealed the granting of planning permission by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and An Bord Pleanála will not have a decision until next September. It is only then that the work can be carried out. I have not had a clear answer from Iarnród Éireann as to whether it will be able to carry out the works during the 13 weeks referred to or whether it will have to resume the work again at Christmas. It is seriously asking us to tolerate closure of the DART during the Christmas period, the peak shopping season. This is devastating, for a third time, and is due to a public failure to acknowledge and recognise that there will be a planning permission requirement.

I ask the Minister to take control of what is going on. The Minister is not getting the facts from Iarnród Éireann. An Taisce is wrong-minded in the appeals it has made in this area. It should never have made those appeals because these matters have already been decided by An Bord Pleanála. All the issues I have raised, and the grounds of appeal made to An Bord Pleanála, were well ventilated before. The only reason that permission has been sought for a second time is that Iarnród Éireann recognised that the plans did not comply with part M of the building regulations.

An Taisce has no business in making its appeal. I have asked it to withdraw its appeal and to let the work be carried out. It will clearly not do that so I ask the Minister to take control of the issue. He is not getting the facts from the interested parties. I ask the Minister of State to support my view that the work should be put back until the new year unless a guarantee can be obtained that the work will be done in 13 weeks.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Andrews for raising this issue. As he said, responsibility for the management of the DART upgrade rests with Iarnród Éireann and specific detail regarding implementation is a matter for the company. I listened intently to what the Deputy said and am concerned that he feels I may not be getting the facts. I would be happy to tease that matter out with him.

I have been monitoring some of the work for a number of reasons and take this opportunity to congratulate the project team on some of its strategies and on the manner in which it has gone about the work with as little disruption as possible to the services.

The DART upgrade project is the largest investment project undertaken by Iarnród Éireann since the DART service began in 1984. It involves significant infrastructural support and will deliver a 100% increase in the service. This process has been ongoing for some time. The work includes doubling the fleet of DART cars, replacing the overhead wiring, building new electricity sub-stations, lengthening all platforms and providing full access for mobility impaired customers at all stations.

By the end of the DART upgrade we will have invested in excess of €176 million on the project and a further €80 million on the purchase of DART cars. The project began in October 2003. To minimise the impact on customers and ensure that the core services were running Monday to Friday, Iarnród Éireann designed the work programme to ensure that interruptions to services were confined to weekends. That approach involves 24-hour working by the project team from the last DART service of Friday to the powering-up of the service on Monday mornings. This was considered to be the most effective way of undertaking such a large project.

From October 2003 to July 2004, excluding the weeks before Christmas, services were suspended at weekends between Pearse and Greystones stations. All platforms on the southside were lengthened, and all overhead lines renewed during these suspensions. Similar work on the northside has been taking place from August 2004 and will continue until the end of May 2005.

Because of planning and property issues encountered during the first period of scheduled works on the southside, Iarnród Éireann has informed the Department that it was not possible to complete all planned works and that it will be necessary to suspend weekend services between Pearse and Greystones stations to complete accessibility works at southside stations. The company proposes to suspend services from June 2005 for 13 weekends. This work is required to facilitate accessibility. I would be happy to tease out Deputy Andrews' suggestion with him and Iarnród Éireann in this regard.

Planning permission is required in respect of the work to be carried out on the southside stations and the Deputy is correct that some appeals have been lodged. Iarnród Éireann has worked hard to minimise any objections likely to be raised to its proposals for upgrading each station. Many of the stations are architecturally significant and all works carried out must have regard to both the building and the impact that the changes will have on people living in the vicinity.

The need to return to the southside was signalled publicly by the company in June 2004. The Department has asked the company to ensure that the work is carried out in the shortest possible time frame and with the minimum disruption to DART customers. We have also asked that additional bus services be provided along the route of the DART to cater for inconvenienced customers and that these additional bus services be published in a timetable for the relevant period.

Until the works at the southside stations are completed, mobility impaired people, including mums with pushchairs, will not be able to have full access to the DART network. I appreciate the frustration of people about these additional weekend closures. We must have patience and understanding as the work must be carried out as Deputy Andrews is aware and is happy to have done. I would be happy to arrange a meeting with Deputy Andrews, Department officials and Iarnród Éireann to have the facts clearly discussed and appropriate solutions agreed to.