The Green Party protested yesterday outside Government Buildings as the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Minister for Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, launched the Luas tram. The party said it was highlighting the Government's cutbacks on vital and promised public transport infrastructure.
In a statement, Green Party transport spokesperson, Cllr Eamon Ryan, said: "The PR hype at the parading of the Luas tram is a cynical sham given that at the same time the Government is postponing the Luas lines to Lucan, Kilbarrack and Terenure, the rail line to Navan and the Metro lines to Kimmage, Clondalkin and Swords.
"Had the Government not delayed the Luas project for three years, the Luas trams would now be carrying passengers rather than sitting outside Bertie's office. We would also now be building other Luas lines, but these lines are now being shelved due to budget restraints.
"The Dublin Transport Office has a radical plan to save Dublin from gridlock which was app- roved by the Government earlier this year. It requires £4 billion to be spent on public transport over the next five years . . . However, as our budget surplus disappears the Department of Finance is now putting a stop on these projects."
Cllr Ryan said the National Development Plan included 750km of new motorways compared to 25km of new rail tracks.
"The National Roads Authority costed and received £4.7 billion pounds to build these roads but a report released under the Freedom of Information Act on March 10th last showed that the NRA now estimates the real cost to be nearly double at £8.5 billion. The Port Tunnel alone has increased threefold over the last five years.
"We are calling on the Government to put a hold on the NRA programme and to amend the National Spatial Strategy to include a national transport review which would prioritise public transport schemes."