Seanad debates

Wednesday, 5 November 2003

National Development Plan Mid-Term Evaluation: Statements.

 

Public transport is one of the interesting issues to which the report refers. It specifies that the moneys allocated are being under-spent and that priority is not being given to public transport by the Government. It goes into some detail about the total farce of the Luas project. I have no doubt that in a year's time – assuming it is built – the Luas will provide a decent comfortable service for those who use it along the two lines provided. There is no doubt that if one had carried out the cost benefit analysis when the money was ultimately committed, the argument that it was good value for money would not stand up. In terms of the number of people it will transport per kilometre, the Luas does not stand up to any reasonable examination. As Senator O'Rourke said, the point is made in the report that we never factored in, not just in that project, but also in the port tunnel, the economic costs of the disruption caused.

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