Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming into the Chamber to discuss this most important issue. The National Transport Authority's announcement on Tuesday of plans for new bus corridors in Dublin has caused confusion, unease and distress for many of the people living along the 16 affected routes. Approximately 20,000 households live along these 16 routes and it is planned to procure 1,300 portions of property by means of compulsory purchase order. As the Minister is well aware, traffic is beginning to clog up the arteries of Dublin in a way that is not sustainable and can no longer be ignored. Naturally therefore, any plan to alleviate congestion and improve the public transport offering is to be welcomed wholeheartedly. The Minister has overseen a great many public transport developments in his tenure, including the plan to electrify the DART network, the opening of Luas cross city and plans to deliver MetroLink and upgrade the Luas green line. Many capital spending plans for transport have been advanced on his watch and these will leave a tremendous legacy in the decades ahead in public transport, public investment and preventing further deterioration in traffic in Dublin.

That said, the NTA's communication to the affected residents leaves much to be desired at this early stage in this sensitive process. As I said, some 20,000 households live along these 16 routes. We have been told specifically by the NTA that 1,300 households will have a portion of their property compulsorily purchased from them. If the number involved is so specific, it raises the question as to whether the NTA knows exactly which properties will be affected. I suspect it does, which raises follow-on question as to why on earth the people who will be affected were not informed, consulted, written to and treated with basic respect, not only as stakeholders in this project, but also as citizens of this country. They deserve that at the very least. It is a regrettable misstep by the National Transport Authority to announce a plan at this halfway point. The NTA will make further announcements in September concerning the affected services within the existing bus network. I am not entirely sure why it could not have liaised with the affected residents and held off on these route announcements until then. That would seem a sensible course of action.

It is clear that this is not a problem of the Minister's or Department's creation. However, I would appreciate it, and I know residents in my constituency and elsewhere, particularly those affected in Rathfarnham who have been in touch with me and Deputy Colm Brophy in droves, would be very grateful if the Minister used his considerable influence to impress upon the NTA the need to learn lessons from this and to communicate better and more thoughtfully and inclusively with residents and stakeholders in future. I would appreciate the Minister's thoughts on this matter.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Rock for raising this extremely topical issue. It is unusual to get a Topical Issue matter under this heading, so I am very grateful to get one today.

The Deputy represents very well the apprehension which obviously exists among a large number of his constituents and others that they will somehow be hit by this very dramatic, transformational and radical attack on congestion in Dublin city. I have spoken to the National Transport Authority about this matter, including its communications, and I am satisfied with its explanations, while still understanding the Deputy's view. The NTA has indicated that the launch this week related only to what it describes as indicative routes. Obviously, nothing is set in stone when one launches 16 indicative routes and changes may still be made. Identifying 1,300 houses that will be affected could be dishonest and alarmist and some of the households identified may not ultimately be affected. The NTA has, I believe, identified an approximate number as honestly as it possibly can, while leaving room for discussion on the routes. The final decision on which households will be affected will be taken soon. From my discussions with the authority, it appears that decision will be taken in October or about three months from now.

What is more, the NTA is absolutely adamant that it will speak individually to every one of the affected households. It gave me that assurance this morning. Some people may look forward to a small section of their land being taken off them if the astronomical amounts appearing in the media are correct.

The problem with issuing square footage valuations is that each square foot has a different valuation. Some places in south Dublin have incredibly high valuations, while others elsewhere are very low. That is also the case in north Dublin. Therefore, one could not have an average estimate by square foot.

I suspect we will see very laborious but very democratic dialogue. They will engage with each individual household on a market valuation and, inevitably, some cases will go to arbitration. The State has a mechanism for doing so. I hope it will be a dialogue that satisfies the Deputy and others who are rightly concerned and will remove the apprehension some people will have when the routes are identified in the future. That will mean that this extraordinary bold step to relieve congestion will be successful.

I acknowledge that the Deputy is correct in that some people will be discomfited. That is to be regretted, but the big picture is that while we will not remove congestion forever, we will make dramatic inroads in easing it in this city. The number cycling will increase and the time it takes people to get to work will, on average, be halved. That is a serious goal we intend to achieve. I am sorry that some people will be inconvenienced, but there will be real dialogue and they will be generously compensated.

Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister who I appreciate has had negotiations with the NTA on this matter. It is clear that he is on top of the issue which he is approaching with sufficient gravity and seriousness. It is interesting that the NTA uses the phrase "indicative routes" for the mid-way plan it announced on Tuesday. It also used the phrase in describing the recent metro plans, except that in that case, while there was great dissatisfaction at the length of time the affected stakeholders - owners of properties along the route - had been given, they were told about the indicative plans. If owners of properties along the metro route were informed of indicative plans, surely it is inconsistent that those who potentially will be affected on the Bus Connects routes are not. Of course, the Minister is correct that, by their nature, indicative plans can be changed, particularly when 16 routes are being planned in parallel and I acknowledge that it is entirely possible that many, perhaps even all, of the routes will change somewhat as the public consultation process gathers steam. However, I believe one critical component, regrettably, has been overlooked in the NTA's communication. Significant numbers of people have been upset. The No. 44 bus links the Minister's home area of Enniskerry with mine. I wonder if I were to hop on the No. 44 bus to Enniskerry tomorrow morning to knock on 100 doors and tell 100 people that roughly 5% of them would lose their gardens, would they be concerned, upset, distressed and alarmed. That is effectively what has happened. There are 20,000 properties along the 16 routes and we were told a specific number of owners, 1,300, or between 5% and 7%. would lose a portion of their property. The question is outstanding and one we will have to put to the NTA when its representatives are before the transport committee next week. Nevertheless, I appreciate the level of engagement and the fact that the Minister has pointed out that it is a radical plan, which it is. Dublin needs such a radical plan to deal with public transport issues. I have full confidence that the Minster is aware of how cohesive that plan needs to be and hope that in coming years we will manage to deliver on it.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Everything the Deputy has said is authentic and genuine and we should take what he is saying to heart. The consultation process will be extremely extensive and I think the dialogue will be successful, but that does not meant that there will not be court cases. There always are and there will be some, but I do not think we should lose sight of the big picture which is halving the time it takes people to get to work. In fact, they will be more than halved because if we to continue on our current course, travelling times and traffic congestion will continue to increase. Instead, we will have a speedy, reliable bus service which will moves at a pace we have not seen before. People will get to work and arrive home earlier and buses will be able to keep to timetables, something they could not do before. It is also part of climate change policy and the programme for the removal of carbon emissions which we have been pursuing with increasing vigour and on which we need to play catch-up. Having 200 km of dedicated, segregated cycling lanes beside the new bus lanes is quite new and something we should all welcome. We will also have pedestrian lanes beside them which will encourage people to walk to work. It is all part of a very big picture. The Deputy is talking about something that is important and very important to the individuals concerned. If, in the future, he wishes to bring people to meet me to discuss the issue, I will be happy to transfer their views to the NTA rather than interfere directly. I am conscious, as I have been about the difficulties at the airport, that some people are concerned and that there are those whose lifestyles will be changed. It is a consideration we must take into account.