Sir, - I think it is time the Labour Party got its thinking clear about LUAS. My former constituency colleague, Eithne Fitzgerald, questioned the Government's commitment to implementing its plan for a city-wide, light rail network for Dublin (May 25th).
I assume, like myself, she wants to see the Government's imaginative plan for a comprehensive service for the whole city, as well as for my constituents in Dublin South, brought to fruition as speedily as possible.
Ms Fitzgerald does not appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet as her colleague, Deputy Emmet Stagg, however. He is on record as saying that Labour will not form a coalition with any party that favours the Government's light rail plan for Dublin.
The Labour Party may be confused about this issue but the Government is not. On behalf of the Progressive Democrats, I would like to assure the people of Dublin that construction of the Sandyford-City Centre and Tallaght-City Centre links will proceed without delay and that the link to the airport will be completed as quickly as possible.
The original Rainbow light-rail proposal envisaged a single line connecting Tallaght and Sandyford; remarkably, it offered no integration with DART.
This Government's progressive proposal, on the other hand, provides for a fully integrated rail transit system for the whole of Dublin, linking the two mainline rail stations, the airport and the city centre, and facilitating interchange with DART.
I think that any fair-minded observers would agree that that is a far better deal for Dubliners than the very limited Rainbow proposal. - Yours, etc., Liz O'Donnell TD,
Dublin South, Minister of State, Dept of Foreign Affairs, Dublin 2.