THE target operational date for the first phase of the Dublin light rail system Tallaght to Dundrum is the year 2000, the House was told. The Transport Minister, Mr Lowry, said the next phase would follow "immediately afterwards".
He was responding to Mr Robert Molloy (PD, Galway West) who asked if the project would be reviewed in view of reservations being expressed about it. He also asked if the costings were reliable, particularly in view of the experience with DART, where CIE advised it would break even, but it was now costing £26 million a year to run while revenue was only £13 million.
Mr Lowry said the DART was a success, carrying 17 million passengers last year. It made a significant impact on reducing the number of cars coming into the city.