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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

MetroLink route and services

Summary

Deputy Murphy questions the process for choosing the south-side MetroLink route and argues alternatives beyond Beechwood should be considered. Deputy Ryan says several options remain under consideration and the best overall transport and development option will be chosen.

Catherine Connolly An Leas-Cheann Comhairle Independent

We have four remaining Deputies, beginning with Deputy Paul Murphy. He has 30 seconds.

Comment on this

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I appreciate her giving me the time. The Government is about to make a big mistake in approving the business case for the MetroLink to go to Beechwood, without considering the main alternative of going to south-west Dublin.

I received an answer from the Minister to a parliamentary question, which seems to imply that the alternative cannot be considered outside of the formal six-year review process. That rule would not make any sense and that has already been broken. It also means not taking into account the evidence that has emerged.

Does the Minister agree that it would make sense to approve it up to St. Stephen's Green and then have independent reviews of the different options?

Comment on this

Special schools reopened last February. Public transport services will be increased to 75% from 19 July but people who are fully vaccinated are still waiting on the public health advice and on Government direction in this area. This includes those in disability training centres, where there is as little as 20% capacity being provided, or older people who have had no day service whatsoever since March 2020. Why are the doors of these vital services still closed to the most vulnerable in society?

Comment on this

The programme for Government promises to prioritise the development of microgeneration, which lets people sell excess power back to the grid, by June 2021. We are a month past the deadline. When will microgenerators be able to sell back to the grid and make renewable technology more affordable? Under what terms will this be done?

Comment on this

My question is about the vaccine roll-out through the pharmacies. While it is welcome and the interest in uptake by young people aged between 18 and 34 is encouraging, no pharmacies in west Cavan are administering the vaccine. This is not because they are not interested; it is because they have been told by the HSE that it will not facilitate them joining the scheme. I would love to know why that is and what the situation is there. There is also no centralised booking system, so people can book onto several waiting lists in pharmacies, and are doing so, which is causing a waste of vaccines.

Comment on this

On Deputy Paul Murphy's question, there are three options for the extension of MetroLink on the south side. One is to go south-west to Terenure and Rathfarnham and potentially on to Tallaght; one is going up the green line, which will not be a viable option for a variety of different reasons; and one is going south-east to University College Dublin, UCD, Stillorgan and Sandyford, which would be able to address capacity issues on the green line. Whichever is the best option on transport and economic, social and community development terms will be the one that is picked. It is appropriate for that to be done within the review of the greater Dublin area transport strategy. The proposal, as developed by MetroLink, to extend beyond St. Stephen's Green, does not preclude any one of the options. It is better for us to go with the outlined proposal that has been 25 years in the making from TII and the National Transport Authority. Then, as a second development, we should look to extend further, either south-west or south-east, whichever is the more optimal option.

On Deputy Naughten's question, I commit that the next phase in the reopening has to include day care services, which are critical. If we can be successful, as we have been doing in our step-by-step and cautious but considered approach, I have every confidence that we will see those services restored. They are critical, not just for the health of individuals but also for their families. There are also all the other knock-on consequences of not having them available.

Deputy Patricia Ryan asked about microgeneration. We are in the final stages of preparing to deliver that and I expect it imminently. It will open up the possibility of being able to export and get a price for excess renewable power that people may have.

Deputy Tully mentioned the issues the pharmacies partaking in the vaccination programme are experiencing. That was set out by the vaccine task force, which has done a good job and it seems to be working well. Decisions on individual pharmacies were taken on the basis of having an appropriate network relative to the volume of vaccines that we had. If we saw a significant increase in vaccine supplies internationally, the task force would continue to review the situation. It has done almost 30 different iterations of the vaccine roll-out plan. That could include further online booking mechanisms. My understanding is that it is working well. The only problem we have is access to vaccines from the international environment. If that increased, our response on the ground would increase at the same time.

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