Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, and congratulate him on this historic day when we saw the reappearance of the tram in Dublin with the long-awaited opening of the Sandyford to city centre light rail line. I also congratulate the Department of Transport and the Rail Procurement Agency for delivering the project.

When opening the Sandyford line, the Rail Procurement Agency decided that the first five days were to be free of charge. This is a welcome encouragement for people to use this new public transport service. I ask the Minister to intervene with Luas and the Rail Procurement Agency to ensure an equality of treatment when the Tallaght line is opened in late August. Of late, some Luas officials have indicated that the free five day concession enjoyed by Sandyford line users will not be available to Tallaght line users. Under the Transport (Dublin Light Rail) Act, the Minister has the power to direct that such a concession is extended to the Tallaght line. The people of Tallaght, Inchicore and every other stop along this line must be allowed to have a number of free day concessions when the line is opened in late August. As the House will not be sitting then, I am raising the issue now. There is public concern in the Dublin 24 area that the same conditions that apply to the Sandyford line would also apply to the Tallaght line.

All Members encourage people to make that modal shift away from the car to public transport. However, for the past five years those living along the line have been subjected to constraints caused by its construction. They have done so in a humorous and light-hearted way and have put up with much hassle in their community for the last five years.

The concession put in place by the Minister for Transport and the RPA for the opening of the Sandyford line should also be in place for the opening of the Tallaght line as a small token of appreciation to the residents along the line who have had to endure difficulties for the past five years. I am sure that in his response the Minister will tell me what I want to hear and that when he opens the Tallaght line in late August, when, God willing, we will all be in attendance, the people of Tallaght will also be entitled to a number of free days' travel on the line. That is the intention of tabling this matter.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Brian Hayes for tabling this matter and giving me the opportunity to say a few words about Luas. I have listened carefully to what he said and I will insist on a number of free days being made available as requested. I will make a formal request to the RPA in that regard. The Senator is right in saying that the days of free celebratory travel were greatly welcomed today. It is appropriate that similar free days would be available when the second line opens at the end of August.

The congratulations offered are not so much due to me as to the Railway Procurement Agency and to all the local authorities, the Luas workers, the RPA chairman, Pádraig White, the chief executive, Frank Allen, the RPA board and all those who brought about the return of the trams to the streets of Dublin today. Special thanks are due to the Leader of the House, Senator O'Rourke, without whose central involvement we would not be introducing Luas today. She drove the project hard over many years and can take a great deal of the credit for bringing it to fruition.

There is a great sense of excitement about Luas. The line will carry 20,000 passengers, or approximately 8 million in any one year. The Sandyford line now has 13 stations. The Tallaght line will have 22 or 23 stations. In all, some 60,000 people will be transported daily through the suburbs to Dublin city centre. We are also looking at the possibility of a metro.

It is entirely appropriate that the same celebratory free travel days should be made available to the people on the second line, the Red Line, which will open at the end of August.

Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)
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On behalf of the people of Dublin 24, I thank the Minister for his positive reply. I am glad he has intervened to resolve this matter and I appreciate it.