The Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, has defended her decision to commission another study of the Dublin light rail project because it would "put to bed once and for all" the issue of whether it should run on-street or underground.
Addressing an international conference at the RDS in Dublin yesterday, she stressed that the Government fully supports the provision of a light rail system in the city, as recommended by the Dublin Transportation Initiative strategy, devised in 1994.
"However, I believe it is fair to say that the DTI took a strategic view of the underground versus on-street issue. At that level, matters relating to construction disruption, potential street congestion and related issues which have now become controversial, would not have been examined in great detail."
The Minister said it was on this basis that she had decided to commission a "fully objective study" on running Luas underground in the city centre. Its purpose was to provide the Government with "clear and objective advice" and she hoped shortly to appoint the consultants to carry it out.
"I have not taken this decision lightly," she declared. "I firmly believe that there is an urgent need to tackle the traffic and transport situation in Dublin in an effective and integrated manner." But it was important to get Luas right, given that it was costing £220 million.
"Given the scale of the planned light rail investment and the significant impact it will have on the city of Dublin, I strongly believe that only by doing a realistic comparison of the underground and on-street options can this issue be put to bed once and for all," Ms O'Rourke said.
But the transportation committee of the Institution of Engineers said it was "extremely unlikely" that the review would come to different conclusions from the DTI and subsequent studies, and it expressed the hope that this "vital element" of the DTI strategy would not be unduly delayed.
Mr Donal Mangan, the Luas project director, said his team had "more than enough work to do in completing the development of the project" during the six months which the new study could take. "The project team will be fully occupied progressing the detail while the study is going on."
Exhibitors and visitors from more than 12 countries are attending the RDS conference and exhibition, which is held annually in the next European city likely to install a light rail system. The organisers had not anticipated that Dublin's project would be "on hold" while they were here.
The International Light Rail 97 exhibition features the world's latest developments in light rail technology, including trams which are said to cost £850,000 less than existing vehicles and require less expensive and less disruptive track-laying on city streets.
