Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has told the Dáil he does not know when the two Luas lines will be joined up but stressed that it was not entirely a matter for him because of other agencies' involvement.
He said he hoped to have legislation to establish the Dublin Transport Authority (DTA) passed during the Dáil's autumn session and would bring it to Government "as a matter of urgency" so that it would complete projects like the Luas lines.
Mr Dempsey, who was appointed two weeks ago, said the finishing date for the overall project including extending the Luas line northwards to Liffey junction via Broadstone and Grangegorman was 2012.
However, Independent TD Tony Gregory (Dublin Central) backed by constituency colleague Joe Costello of Labour, accused the Rail Procurement Agency (RPA) of "deception and subterfuge" about the chosen route for the extension of the Luas and said residents in the Drumcondra area believed "the development and speculative potential value of open space in the areas is being given a higher priority than the residents' homes".
Mr Dempsey said the RPA has received many, and sometimes irreconcilable, requests which will always be a difficulty in these projects. But he added that the project was an important one which would benefit from everybody "taking a step back to allow a bit of space".
Asked by Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell when it was likely that the green and red Luas lines would be joined, Mr Dempsey replied: "The answer to the question posed by the deputy is - I do not know. It is not completely in my hands or those of the RPA. There are outside agencies such as the city council which must be consulted as they are doing a study on transport in the city centre area." Mr Dempsey agreed with Ms Mitchell that there was a need for greater co-ordination and that is "the reason one of my first actions in this department was to ask about the DTA legislation".
"I have indicated my wish to have it brought to Government as a matter of urgency and I hope we will have it in the House in the early stages of the autumn session," he said. "That would help expedite projects such as this." Ms Mitchell said she would welcome that legislation to "make the DTA a body with teeth. As the Minister correctly states, we are consulting outside agencies. There should be no outside agencies but rather a single agency to drive this ahead."
