Courage is seriously lacking in this Government. Last October, under pressure from Dublin Chamber of Commerce and other powerful commercial interests, the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, commissioned a full-scale study of the overground and underground options for the light rail Luas project. The report, received last week, came down firmly and unequivocally in favour of the above-ground option. But, because it warned of extensive traffic disruption during two years of construction, Cabinet Ministers declined to make a decision yesterday and, instead, released the report into the public domain. The traffic-bound commuter was, apparently, being asked to go to war with commercial interests and the Government stood by to support the winner. Providing leadership and making tough political decisions was not on the Cabinet agenda. That will not come until next week.
The Luas project has been a shambles since its inception. The 1994-1999 National Development Plan proposed a three-branch system serving Tallaght, Ballymun and Dundrum at a cost to the EU of £200m. But when a shortfall of £1,000m developed in overall EU funding in 1994, the Ballymun branch was chopped out by the then Minister for Transport, Mr Brian Cowen, so that the scheme could qualify for £113m in EU funding. Simmering commercial pressure and demands that the city-centre element of the scheme should go underground - so as to minimise disruption - caused his successor, Mr Michael Lowry, to review the situation in 1996. But the original decision held. Then, in 1997, Ms O'Rourke ordered a full investigation into the underground option and appeared to favour such a development.
The consultant's report has now put the issue beyond doubt. It found the surface option to be "the most appropriate and cost-effective in meeting the transport needs of the city and providing a capacity to meet long-term passenger demands". The cost would be roughly half of the underground system, at £262m to £500m; it would carry more passengers; would have a bigger operating surplus and could be completed by the year 2002, compared to 2005 for the underground system. On the negative side, the overground project would cause disruption and deterioration in the innercity environment for a period of two years. But significant local disruption would occur in relation to the underground option for a period of five years.
The Government might prefer to postpone the project during its term in office, because of the negative political impact traffic dislocation will cause. (It was recently suggested by a senior official that the EU money could be spent on alternative projects.) Procrastination has become an art form. Luas has been stuck at the planning stage for four years, under four different ministers and three governments, while traffic in the city has become chaotic. Luas, in itself, will not solve Dublin's problems. Heavy Government investment in a modern bus and DART services is also required, along with dedicated bus routes and the discouragement of private car commuting. The chorus of condemnation from the opposition parties in the Dail, because of the Government's failure to take tough decisions, is well deserved and action is now required from Ms O'Rourke.