Shane Ross (Independent)
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I wish to raise the issue of the need for the Minister for Transport to ensure the metro construction works in St. Stephen's Green cause minimal damage to the environment and the least possible inconvenience to the public. While many of us welcome the commitment of the Government to the metro and the capital expenditure that will be used for this project, the proposal to take away a large proportion of St. Stephen's Green is causing a great deal of concern to many citizens. These are not just environmental concerns, but also disturbances that may be made to traffic in the area, to the pond and to other parts of St. Stephen's Green.

I understand the station in St. Stephen's Green will be modelled on Grand Central Station in New York. While there is a great intent to integrate different types of transport, the damage to the St. Stephen's Green will be considerable for at least four years. Up to 20% of St. Stephen's Green will taken out of action, as 20% of an area running from near the Royal College of Surgeons to Dawson Street will be removed from public access and will be a construction site for about four years. This is a loss to the people of Dublin. The Fusiliers' Arch will be taken down bit by bit, which is a loss to tourism. We need assurances from the Minister of State that it will be restored properly, and that damage to the environment in the interim will be minimal.

All sorts of statistics are being bandied around the place. The proposal to drain the pond will cause environmental damage and a great deal of upset. The ducks will be removed, as will a great number of trees that will also have to be replaced. St. Stephen's Green will not be what it was after these works have been completed. I understand this project must be carried out, but I ask the Government that it be done extremely sensitively. There are proposals for at least 16 protrusions, some of them for air vents, and I ask that they also blend in with the environment of the area.

There will be plenty of protests when this work starts. The Minister of State and the Government know this. When the work starts, people will say it is dreadful and the construction work and the obstruction it causes will become the issue. The end project will be submerged in the problems incurred by this construction work. However, those who are offended by it will have a very good case.

I ask the Minister of State to reassure us that all the historic works, especially the Fusiliers' Arch, will be preserved. I ask that the environment — there are 8,000 trucks projected to go down Dawson Street — will be protected. I gather that the drill and blast techniques to be used will cause a great amount of noise and air pollution, and I ask that it be minimalised. The people of Dublin should look forward to some great infrastructure, but in the meantime they should be protected by the Government from the worst effects of the construction that is going to take place.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the concern of the Senator, but it was discussed in this House on Committee Stage of the Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008.

Transport 21 will transform our transport infrastructure. In Dublin, the delivery of projects such as metro north, the interconnector, metro west and new Luas lines will provide an integrated network of rail services, which will bring significant benefits to the city and the region. It will provide the infrastructure required for Dublin to become an even more vibrant city in which to live and work. There is no doubt there will be problems while the construction work is taking place. Metro north and the interconnector will be the spine of the new public transport system, which has integration as a fundamental planning principle. Integrating these new rail lines with the existing Sandyford Luas line at St. Stephen's Green will allow the city centre to grow and become an even stronger focus for work and leisure than that which exists at present.

It is important, however, that the delivery of these critical projects is managed in a manner which minimises the impact on the city centre. It is in this context that the Minister recently met key stakeholders and agencies in the city to get an update on the major transport projects in Dublin, to identify the principal concerns of the business community and to review progress on traffic planning for the construction phase of these projects. The Minister intends that this will be the first in a series of meetings, which he will hold on a regular basis over the coming years to this end. There are concerns at these major works in the city but we do not want to send a negative message. The message we want to send is that the city is still open and that businesses are open. We do not want to frighten people away, we want them to shop in the city. It is a question of facilitating businesses, shoppers and commuters. We do not want people going to suburban shopping centres, from where they might not come back to shop in the city centre. The message is that the city is open for business.

Regarding St. Stephen's Green, both larnród Éireann and the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, are working closely together in designing the station for both metro north and the interconnector. They are doing this within constraints agreed with the Office of Public Works and in consultation with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin City Council, and other key stakeholders. Dublin City Council is developing a traffic management strategy to minimise the disruption caused to traffic from works at St. Stephen's Green and the station at O'Connell Bridge.

In recognition of the sensitive heritage and environmental issues in this area, specialists including conservation architects, archaeologists, and arboriculturists are currently being taken on board by the RPA to advise on these significant matters. A detailed landscaping plan to reinstate the park will be also agreed with the Office of Public Works. Prior to any work being carried out detailed surveys, reports and photographic records will be commissioned as agreed with the Office of Public Works.

Before undertaking any work in St. Stephen's Green the RPA will require a railway order to be granted by An Bord Pleanála. The agency will set out in detail the mitigation measures it will take in St. Stephen's Green during construction in the environmental impact statement required under the planning process. The agency will fully restore the green on the completion of construction. In addition, the National Monuments Acts requires the RPA to obtain the consent of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government for works on the green. There is therefore a twofold statutory protection of St. Stephen's Green under both the railway order and the national monuments consent procedures.

I am aware of concerns about the works to be undertaken in St. Stephen's Green. However, we must not lose sight of the benefits these works will bring to the city. Substantial work has been undertaken by both the RPA and larnród Éireann to minimise the impacts and to ensure we will not only retain the heritage and amenity of St. Stephen's Green but also obtain the benefits of a high quality and integrated public transport system in the heart of the city. It is one of the cornerstones of Transport 21 and will entail a colossal amount of work, but much detailed planning will go into it.

There may not be space for all vehicles to use the area, which will be part of the traffic plan. Whether one excludes cars, the priority is to facilitate business and commuters and encourage them onto busses. This is linked to the matter we discussed earlier. Much planning is taking place. This was discussed in the debate on the Dublin Transport Authority Bill, where an amendment was tabled to allow work to take place under the Saint Stephen's Green (Dublin) Act 1877. Whatever disruption takes place, it is planned to restore the green to its full glory.

Shane Ross (Independent)
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Is that a ministerial guarantee that St. Stephen's Green will be restored to its former state?

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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That will be outlined in the environmental impact statement.

Shane Ross (Independent)
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I understand that is the guarantee that has been already given.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Yes. That will have to go through the planning process, which will outline it in detail. Generally, it is expected that everything will go back to the way it was. The bible for that will be the planning process, what is included in the conditions and what is drawn from the environmental impact survey.

Shane Ross (Independent)
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Can the Minister of State not give a guarantee?

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I can say it is intended to do that but there will be disruption. There is no point pretending there will be none. The pond and the lake will be disrupted during construction——

Shane Ross (Independent)
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But restored.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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——but restored. The Senator can take what I say as gospel but the bible — the planning conditions and the railway order — will be the real evidence and guarantee more than what I say. The remit of the groups planning this is to put back everything the way it is now.