Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for taking this Commencement matter. He could have asked a Minister of State to come in so I appreciate him taking the matter in person.

The Minister knows the area well. He has lived in this part of Dublin for a long number of years. He is well aware of the proposal for MetroLink, which will erect a wall in the middle of the community of Ranelagh. It is proposed that a train will run every 90 seconds. It will separate the community forever and it will have a great impact on traffic and emergency services. If they had to attend to a heart attack on one side of the line, for example, trying to access the incident would be difficult because of the way the emergency services are configured. There has been little opportunity for the residents to make their views known. Residents on the northside were invited to appear before the transport committee. The Minister has no control over whether one group or another is invited to appear before the committee but they were excluded from that. I feel particularly aggrieved by that. They have requested a meeting with the National Transport Authority, NTA, which I hope will be granted shortly, and they have also asked to meet the Minister. I ask the Minister to look at his diary on Friday, if that is when he has his diary meeting, to see if he can facilitate the representatives of the residents and schools in the Ranelagh area.

The proposal is to close the Luas green line for up to two years. The official papers say it will be a year but the structural surveys on the embankment have not been carried out yet. If the embankments have to be reinforced, which I believe will be the case, it will take substantially more than a year. It will have an impact on the immediate area, not only Ranelagh and Rathmines but the entire southside of the city. To put the number of people who use the green line back on to other public transport or in their cars would destroy the southside of the city for up to two years. The economic impact would be substantial. I ask that the Minister look at continuing the MetroLink further underground past Milltown, which the papers propose, would only close the green line for three months. The green line could be closed for June, July and August during the school holidays which would lessen the impact on the city and its economic activity and mean having a better scheme to service the city.

The Minister's officials will probably say he cannot implement these proposals without breaking eggs. I am a realist. To put in the infrastructure that is needed, some people will be discommoded and disadvantaged but we have to try to ensure we do not destroy where we do not have to. There is a solution, although it is not a perfect solution. It may not be the one everyone likes but it would certainly maintain the integrity of Ranelagh. It would prevent an old-type Berlin Wall through the heart of Ranelagh, which would not only separate families and communities but would have an impact on small businesses and their economic viability if half their footfall is taken out.

I ask the Minister to meet the representatives of the residents' groups, who are the people most impacted. They have formally written him asking for that meeting. He may not have had time to consider it. I ask the Minister to meet them as soon as possible with his officials, to allow them to explain the impact on their communities. He will see that there is a viable alternative. The costing is €420 million. Similar major changes have taken place on the northside regarding the location of the stations. We are hearing rumours. The NTA said it may be move to a single bore tunnel. We need to know what impact that will have and what can be done. If it is moved to a single bore tunnel, as a result of the reduction in cost, can we reduce the impact it will have on communities such as Ranelagh and Rathmines?