The public inquiry into the making of a light railway order for Dublin got under way yesterday with an undertaking from the inquiry inspector, Judge Sean O'Leary, that he would consider setting up a website to facilitate public access to the inquiry's deliberations.
Responding to suggestions that community groups and individual objectors may not have the resources to monitor the proceedings of the inquiry, Judge O'Leary agreed with Mr Charlie Kuntz of the Dublin 15 Community Council that a website could be useful and promised to look into the matter.
Mr Kuntz later said an unofficial account of the inquiry's progress would be posted on the community council's own website.
Judge O'Leary said the inquiry would concentrate on the request from CIE to the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, for the making of a light rail order for the Tallaght-Abbey Street section of Dublin's proposed Luas system.
For the purposes of the inquiry the route has been divided into six areas. These are: Area One, from The Square Tallaght, via Kingswood and Kilnamanagh to a position just short of Embankment Road; Area Two, from Embankment Road parallel to the M50 to the interchange at the Naas Road.
Area Three, from the Naas Road junction to the Davitt Road junction; Area Four, from Davitt Road junction to Suir Road bridge; Area Five, Suir Road bridge through St James's Hospital and along Stephen's Lane to Heuston Station; and Area Six, from Heuston Station to Abbey Street.
Those who indicated they wished to give evidence to the inquiry at yesterday's preliminary session included a wide range of residents' associations as well as South Dublin County Council, the Dublin City Centre Business Association, St Patrick's and St James's Hospitals, in addition to a large number of individual residents and commercial enterprises.
Judge O'Leary said he had been informed by CIE that its initial submission would take some 25 hours. Allowing for introductory remarks, the judge said, he was setting aside the inquiry's first week's business for this aspect of the proceedings.
Following the evidence from CIE it is proposed to take submissions from any party which wants to support or object to the principle of light rail.
This in turn is to be followed by submissions from "each and every party" which wishes the Minister for Public Enterprise to consider alternative proposals involving major portions of the light rail project.
Then the inquiry will listen to evidence from objectors who want minor deviations and to responses from CIE.
Judge O'Leary also said each of the six areas will be allocated at least one day of the inquiry's time.
The Dublin 15 Community Council's website details are available from ccoyne@indigo.ie