Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

I move:

That Seanad Éireann recognises the severe social and economic problems caused by traffic congestion in Dublin and expresses its support for a range of measures to alleviate the problem, including

(i) the invitation of tenders as soon as possible for the construction of the first phase of a comprehensive metro system for the city,

(ii) the use of public private partnership as the most efficient and cost-effective mechanism for delivering the metro system,

(iii) the improvement of the bus service by developing more quality bus corridors and by enabling new operators to enter the market and invest in new bus fleets, and

(iv) the implementation of remedial measures to ensure that the Luas light rail line does not exacerbate traffic congestion at the Red Cow roundabout.

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy McDaid, and hope he will find our contributions worthwhile to the debate on public transport in Dublin, as well as the resolutions we hope to offer.

In the mid-1990s we had a major debate about public transport in Dublin and came down in favour of light rail. The option of an underground metro system was rejected. Comparing the two at the time the then Minister for Transport, Deputy Lowry, said in the House: "Underground is less acceptable, less attractive, less safe, less clean and will cost more to build and operate." That was that.