Dublin traffic had become a nightmare, the Fine Gael spokesman on the environment, Mr Alan Dukes, said. "Unless radical and effective action is taken, the situation will continue to deteriorate rapidly," he warned. "I know from personal experience that a journey through the city centre that can be accomplished in 20 minutes on foot will take up to a half-hour by car at most times of the day, and could take even longer by public transport, except where the DART can be used."
Mr Dukes was moving a Fine Gael private member's motion condemning the Government for failing to provide adequate resources to tackle Dublin's deteriorating traffic problems. He criticised the "ill-advised" Government decision "to back away from the Luas project at a crucial moment and effectively scrap it for the foreseeable future", adding that it must be "one of the most short-sighted and most mischievous decisions ever made by Fianna Fail".
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, said there had been a dramatic increase in car ownership in the Dublin area, from 275 cars per 1,000 head of population in 1991 to 357 per 1,000 last year.
The need to consult democratically on key infrastructural proposals, and to deal with environmental, business and property concerns, was also leading to some delays in implementing the Dublin Transport Initiative.
"These delays may be frustrating in terms of progressing the DTI strategy, but they are an essential part of implementing major physical changes in a democratic society," he added.
Debate on the motion resumes tonight.