Fine Gael has called for a mobile road traffic officer unit to supplement the traffic corps following this morning's congestion caused by a technical fault at Dublin's Port Tunnel.
The Port Tunnel southbound bore has now reopened after being closed for two hours due to a "technical malfunction" caused by a faulty height sensor.
The HGV ban was lifted for inbound traffic at around 7.00am and is now back in place.
Fine Gael transport spokesperson Olivia Mitchell said she has repeatedly called for a permanent fully trained mobile road traffic officer unit operating within the Garda Reserve to supplement the Traffic Corps.
"The Traffic Corps were nowhere to be seen this morning and in truth do not have the resources necessary to provide a constant presence," she said in a statement.
"A permanent special mobile unit is needed now on all major approaches to the city, at the M50 interchanges and key potential black-spots like the Port Tunnel.
"It defies understanding why a billion euro piece of infrastructure does not have a plan B when disaster strikes, as it did this morning when an electrical fault necessitated the closure of the tunnel," Ms Mitchell said.
"There was no patrolling presence to redirect traffic and ensure early diversion of the HGVs off the M50 or even to manage the chaos at the tunnel portal," she added.
Traffic in Dublin has returned to normal after grinding to a near halt due to the earlier closure of one lane of the Port Tunnel and a number of crashes around the city.
According to AA Roadwatch, a crash on the M1 southbound at the entrance to the tunnel brought traffic in the north of the city to a "standstill".
The crash has now been cleared traffic has returned to normal.