The continuing disclosures about the flaws in the Luas lines should be investigated by an Oireachtas committee to establish precisely what had gone wrong, Dublin MEP Gay Mitchell said yesterday.
Mr Mitchell said that the revelations about Luas over the past two weeks had to be investigated properly so that the public could have confidence in the light-rail system.
"I would like to see the Rail Procurement Agency and the operators of the lines come before the Oireachtas Transport Committee so that we could have all this out in the open. We are told no safety issue is involved, but the public needs to be reassured about that, and the only way it can happen is if there is full disclosure about what has been going on," Mr Mitchell said.
He pointed out that another issue of concern to the public was who was going to pay for the necessary repairs, adding: "We have been told that the construction company will be liable for the cost of repairs and that the public will not be asked to put up more money for the project, but I would like to explore this issue in detail.
"Again, I think the Oireachtas committee is the relevant forum for the facts to be presented."
Mr Mitchell said he also had concerns about the industrial relations practices adopted by Connex, which operates the tram system.
"People have left, others have been dismissed, and from what I am told there is a bad industrial relations atmosphere, with the staff feeling they have to deal with a hostile management. This is also something that needs to be sorted out."
Mr Mitchell said that the problem about the revelations to date was that those in charge of the system were acting as judge and jury in their own case. What was needed was an independent assessment of what had gone wrong and of what was going to be involved in putting it right.
He said that the Health and Safety Authority should be asked to examine the issue of safety both with regard to those working in the system and, by extension, the implications for the travelling public.
"The Luas cost far more than it should have, and it took too long to build, but the public have taken to it. We don't want any panic over the safety issue, and the best way to avoid that is to have full disclosure about all the problems that have arisen," he added.
