Seanad report: The Rail Procurement Agency (RPA) appeared to accept that there would be fatalities on the Luas service, Mr Tom Morrissey (PD) said.
Commenting on the recent spate of accidents involving motorists and pedestrians on Luas lines, he said that there must be a major advertising campaign on the danger at various junctions. It was not good enough for RPA spokespersons to say that in the first year of operation there would be fatalities.
"It seems as if they are resigned to say that fatalities will occur, without their being pro-active."
The problem of the lack of signage must be addressed. Mr David Norris (Ind) said he had predicted before the construction on Luas had started that there would be crashes and fatalities. He still believed that lives would be lost.
An underground Metro was the only system that would resolve Dublin's transport problems. Mr Brian Hayes, Fine Gael leader in the House, noted that the Taoiseach had rejected a Metro system.
Mr Feargal Quinn (Ind) said that arguments for the passing of the European constitution would be bolstered by making it clear how much our road infrastructure had been advanced by European structural funds. This contention could be further enhanced if the provision of a Metro service was to be actively considered.
The Government leader in the House, Ms Mary O'Rourke, said that the issue of Israeli restrictions on the medical treatment of the Palestinian Authority chairman, Mr Yasser Arafat, would be raised at the highest Government level. According to reports, if Mr Arafat was brought to a location where he would get proper care, he might not be allowed back, she said.
"What a thing to say to somebody who is clearly seriously ill."
Party colleague Mr Labhrás Ó Murchú said the refusal of the Israeli government to guarantee Mr Arafat's return was another example of man's inhumanity to man. "We must surely have some sanction in our arsenal of international diplomacy to impress on Israel that it is working outside of the family of civilised nations."
The Government should consider the taking of steps to ensure that Mr Arafat was able to avail of the medical services that he needed, he said.
Pharmacists should be enlisted in the efforts to keep more people out of hospital, Dr Maurice Hayes (Ind) said. Referring to the moves in Britain to bring pharmacists more into the frontline treatment area, he suggested that the Minister for Health, Ms Harney, be asked to discuss such a development in this country. He thought it was important to keep people out of hospital.
In pharmacists they had an enormous resource of people who had had very expensive training, which rather than being wasted on sticking labels on bottles and counting out pills could be put to better use.