There was good news this week for the anti-car lobby. Car-parking is to be prohibited on both sides of Leinster House. Lest those dependent on such facilities suffer shock, Quidnunc can inform them that work on the construction of a two-storey basement car-park under what used to be Leinster lawn is to start in September. Those concerned about the lawn, particularly Green deputy, John Gormley, who constantly sought assurances that it would be fully restored by the OPW once the work on the new building was completed, can also rest easy - it should be back by 2003. A briefing document for party whips says construction work on the underground car-park is scheduled to finish by September 2002 and it will come into use at the beginning of 2003. Landscaping work - the restoration of the lawn, new access for the public and the reinstatement of the obelisk and statuary - will take a further three months. During the summer recess of 2003, the Leinster House forecourt, where the plinth runs from Kildare Street, will be redesigned and landscaped. Cars will be banned.
Quidnunc can be contacted at rholohan@irish-times.ie