The new Luas line link may cause short-term pain, but the long-term gain will be greater, the city's new Lord Mayor has said.
Independent councillor Vincent Jackson, who was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin last night, said the Railway Procurement Agency was still going through the process to select the route for the link between the two light rail lines in the city.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Vincent Jackson
A decision is expected by September.
Work on the new line may result in the digging up of Dublin's O'Connell Street yet again.
"As the Rail Procurement Agency is still going through the whole process . . . it will be controversial when it happens, but I'm always one of these people who believes sometimes it's important to build something not because it's the right thing at the time, or politically expedient [but] . .
. because future generations will respect the decisions we make today," Cllr Jackson told ireland.comtoday.
"And if it has to go up O'Connell Street, I think we should go ahead and do it. And if it means undoing some of the work, well hopefully the long term gain is far greater than the inconvenience [when] the construction takes place.
"Who would have ever anticipated 22 million people would have used the Luas in the first year of operation, and I think that's a lot of people being taken out of the motor car and I think that's what we have to go forward into the future," Cllr Jackson said.
"Whatever improvements we decide for the future in the city are going to create a certain amount of inconvenience. But I think there's been a history in Ireland of putting everything off and not taking the decision now, worried about the next election," Cllr Jackson added.
The lord mayor was speaking during his first public engagement - the opening of an outdoor exhibition of work by sculptor Barry Flanagan that is view on O'Connell Street and Parnell Square.
Noting that today marks the 15th anniversary of his election as a councillor for the Ballyfermot area, Cllr Jackson said he would prioritise services for young people and the elderly during his year's term of office.
"I'm a youth worker and a manager of youth services, and provision of services for the elderly are two areas very close to my heart.
"And the whole issue about local government and trying to get real power back to local government. I'm realistic about what a one-term lord mayor can do, but they will be the objectives I will have over the coming year."
Cllr Jackson said he was "very surprised" to have been chosen to go forward for election when his name was pulled out of a hat last night by outgoing lord mayor Catherine Byrne.
"A couple of hours beforehand I thought I had it in the bag, pardon the pun . . . somebody let me down at the last minute. And in 1995, I lost out with my two colleagues . . . there were three names in the hat, between Sean Loftus, Brendan Lynch and myself, and Sean Loftus's name was pulled out of the hat."
The Lord Mayor said it was a "great day" for him, for his family and the people of Ballyfermot and he was "absolutely delighted" to have been elected.
"I've never had so many calls in my whole life this morning, congratulating me from people around the community and from all walks of life, religious and civic and my neighbours and all, but I will savour the moment. I will have these memories for the rest of my life, and I'm very grateful for the trust the councillors put in me last night."