Seanad debates

Thursday, 10 April 2003

Mr. Morrissey: Will the Leader arrange a debate, sooner rather than later, on the port tunnel? We read articles on a daily basis about its height restrictions, the number of trucks it can accommodate and the damage that might be done by super-trucks. There are no European height restrictions on tunnels. However, there has been an ongoing debate at official level for the past 12 months and Owen Keegan of Dublin City Council has bandied about figures of €140 million down to €20 million. In December a solemn commitment was made to having a transport study conducted on the figures pertaining to the numbers of trucks that would breach the present height restrictions. Those figures are not emerging as quickly as we would like. We were told a month ago that we would have them within a week, after an initial leak of the interim figures. It is bizarre when one realises that the Luas bridge in Dundrum, in the Minister's constituency, has been increased in height to five metres at an undisclosed cost. Also, the East Wall Road bridge has been increased in height to five metres by Iarnród Éireann, yet the height pertaining to the biggest tunnelling project in the country is lower. There seems to be a big cover-up going underground. Will the Leader invite the Minister to the House before Easter, even for one hour, to discuss this subject?

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