Plans to relocate Dublin traffic away from the city centre cannot be delayed, according to Eamon Ryan following one Government minister’s protest. 

The Transport Minister said he doesn’t expect Dublin City Council (DCC) to accept a request from Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins to delay its transport plans. 

Speaking at the 20th anniversary celebration of the Luas, Mr Ryan said the Council has already delayed the plans for “too long”. 

“They’ve approved twice,” he said. “If they’ve decided to delay now, the people of Dublin would be deeply, deeply upset.” 

Deputy Higgins said she will ask DCC to pause the ‘car-free’ plans due to concerns about the impact it could have on jobs and retail sales in the city. 

The plan would ban cars from certain sections of the north and south quays, make Parliament Street traffic-free and create new civic plazas at the Custom House and at Lincoln Place near the back entrance to Trinity College. 

While the plans were due to come into effect in August, Deputy Higgins will ask DCC to postpone until at least 2025. 

Dublin traffic relocation

Mr Ryan said changes to transport in the city do not pose a real risk to businesses. 

“The biggest risk to jobs is that our buses don’t get through the traffic quick enough,” he said. 

“A traffic management system would help get buses through the city quicker – that's the most important thing. 

“Why would we delay that?” 

An artist's impression of the South Quays in Dublin after the traffic plan changes. Image: Dublin City Council

He said Government ministers should not try to influence DCC decisions that come from a “bottom-up” decision making process. 

“If Government ministers start designing every bus stop, every turn on the street, that’s not what we’re there for,” he said. 

The Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec) is also calling on DCC to “pause” its plans to reduce the number of cars going through the city centre. 

Ibec Head of Infrastructure and Environmental Sustainability Aidan Sweeney previously said closing through-traffic will lower accessibility for “practical things like deliveries”.