Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, which includes Dublin, has made proposals on the regional spatial and economic strategy for 2019 to 2031, which is a 12-year strategy to consider and make provision for the extension of the MetroLink south to the Rathfarnham, Churchtown and Knocklyon direction on one arm and the UCD and Stillorgan direction on the other. I echo what Senator Boyhan said, that the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, should be here today. He is in the House. When I left the self-service restaurant to come here he was there so I cannot understand why he cannot be here to deal with this matter personally.

The Minister has advertised his intention to conduct a public consultation on amending the spatial strategy document to delete all reference to any alternative route for the southern end of the metro system. The result of this is that what the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, said about being open to persuasion on this matter is being quietly shelved and a decision is being made to cannibalise the green Luas line and incorporate it eventually into the metro system.

The House knows, because I have mentioned it previously, that the consequence of doing this is the green Luas line would be out of operation for two years while these works are carried out. This is a matter of great importance for the south Dublin region. It is very unfortunate that the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, which is a democratic body of local representatives, has made an amendment to make provision for the options the Taoiseach has said are open to the Government to pursue but now it has become apparent that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, led by the Minister, Deputy Ross, has requested the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to make an order deleting all references to alternative routes in the spatial strategy. In effect, this means the Minister, Deputy Ross, has asked the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to end all possibilities of alternative routes for the southern end of the MetroLink system. The consequence of this is that the Minister, under section 31A of the relevant planning Act, has the power to make a direction telling the regional assembly to amend its spatial strategy to conform with what is now emerging as the preferred strategy of the Minister, Deputy Ross, which is the green line cannibalisation scheme and the two-year delay implicit eventually in pursuing that scheme.

We are now in a situation whereby the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has started a procedure. He has put advertisements in the newspapers indicating he intends to consider ending any possibility of these alternative routes by making a direction under a statutory power. I acknowledge the presence of the Minister of State while complaining about the absence of the senior Minister. My information is the Minister has a draft order before him. He has had correspondence with the National Transport Authority, the Office of the Planning Regulator and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The Minister should make a clear statement. Has he yet made the order in question? Does he intend to do so? When is he likely to make this order? Will he publicly state the effect of making this order is that what the Taoiseach has said about the possibility of pursuing alternative routes will be brought to an end?