Doubts over the cost and the completion date for the Luas light rail system in Dublin.
According to the Rail Procurement Agency (RPA), the project will be completed by June 2004. However, Fianna Fáil TD Eoin Ryan who is chairman of the Dáil committee on transport says,
The project is headed for a fiasco.
Eoin Ryan wrote to the RPA after receiving several complaints about the chaos that the construction the tram system has caused. His concerns are around failure to meet deadlines and evidence of poor site management on the works. The RPA wrote back to Eoin Ryan saying that they shared his concerns.
Eamon Ryan the Green Party spokesman for transport says that Eoin Ryan's comments were a bit rich given that he is a member of a government party. Eamon Ryan says that the government parties, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, are responsible for the delays in the project.
In 1996, the timeframe for completion of the project was 2001. This was then changed to 2003. Now the RPA is saying that the project may not be completed for another two years.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 31 August 2003. The reporter is Eileen Whelan.
