The Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, has said Mr Emmet Stagg was understandably and rightly incensed by the Government's Luas decision, but his anger did not mean that what he said had become part of Labour Party policy.
On RTE radio on Wednesday, Mr Stagg said Labour should not coalesce with a Fianna Fail party willing to adopt the expanded Luas plan rather than the previous one.
Mr Quinn, who was hosting a media dinner, said Mr Stagg was well aware that such decisions were made by party delegates. There was no embarrassment for the leadership in what Mr Stagg had said.
He might have "exaggerated the case" because of his frustration in trying to achieve a coherent transport policy for Dublin.
"Emmet knows how party decisions work but I'm not the slightest bit worried about what he said. We are now witnessing the sort of economic nonsense that the Labour Party used to be accused of years ago.
"It seems to me that this is a plan conceived on the back of an envelope. There are no details or projections and the plan did not come through the normal channels of Government where the various, relevant departments would have an input as to costings.
"In my experience of government this is highly irregular. It suggests to me that before the next general election, in two year's time, there is no enthusiasm in Government to disrupt the traffic flow in the city. It seems to me that Luas will not go ahead. A plan already existed when Mary O'Rourke assumed office.
"Emmet was very, very angry because there is a decision in principle without any details. Time has been lost - we are running to the end of the structural funds and if the underground element of the plan goes ahead, it seems that the taxpayer will have to bear the cost," Mr Quinn added.
