Opposition parties want O'Rourke sacked

Opposition parties in the Dβil have tabled a motion calling for the Taoiseach to sack the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs O'Rourke.

The call follows the launch of a Luas tram in Merrion Square, Dublin yesterday, at least two years before the light rail system is due to open to the public.

However, the call for Mrs O'Rourke's sacking is not confined to what Opposition spokesmen described as "the PR hype" surrounding the launch of the tram, but includes a 15 point indictment covering the Minister's management of major infrastructure projects.

Mr Emmet Stagg, Labour Party spokesman on Public Enterprise, described the launch of the tram yesterday as "the most outlandish photo stunt in the history of Irish politics". He said the Government had inherited a Luas system ready to go in 1997 but had halted it for an examination of "the hare-brained plan to drive a Luas tunnel beneath the city centre".

Mr Stagg said the section of track assembled in Merrion Square was done to assuage the egos of Mr Ahern and Mrs O'Rourke and added that commuters would have to wait until late 2003 before it carried one passenger.

Fine Gael also described the launch as "crass cynicism". The party spokeswoman on Local Government, Ms Olivia Mitchell, said it was a milestone "in the annals of political three-card-tricks". She compared it to installing telephones without connections and insisted it was little more than a "photocall with a ghost train" which would infuriate commuters.

Green Party Transport spokesman, Mr Eamon Ryan said yesterday's celebrations were "a sham, given that the Government is postponing lines to Lucan, Kilbarrack and Terenure as well as the rail line to Navan and the Metro lines to Kimmage, Clondalkin and Swords". The Opposition alleges that Mrs O'Rourke:

Failed to convince her colleagues of the short-term nature of Aer Lingus's difficulties.

Failed to ensure Iarnr≤d ╔ireann provided a reliable service for passengers or freight.

Had not delivered on long promised traffic relief measures for Dublin.

Had not delivered integrated ticketing on different forms of public transport, while delaying the approval of Luas

Had failed to ensure that the ESB grid was developed and upgraded to meet capacity demands and failed to ensure that greenhouse gases were kept within Kyoto protocol guidelines

Had failed to ensure delivery of broadband communications to the regions; to produce a coherent strategy for natural gas from the Corrib field and failed to sustain a campaign against nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield. The Dβil motion which was signed by Mr Michael Noonan, Mr Ruair∅ Quinn and Mr Trevor Sargent will be debated on Wednesday.