Dart closure kick in the teeth: SFA

The Small Firms Association has lashed the decision to close Dart services between Greystones and Dublin over the Christmas and New Year periods.

Phone lines at the SFA’s offices have been jammed with irate businesses owners who are angry, dismayed and perplexed about the decision.

The effects on business are expected to be pronounced during the sales period with some city centre traders are already reporting trade down 14% because of weekend Dart closures.

Businesses are of the view that nobody cares about the damage that these decisions inflict on people's livelihoods.

SFA director, Pat Delaney said today: "Again and again businesses are having to respond to decisions that have been made without any consultation and without any impact analysis on businesses trading along the route and in the city centre.

"As usual the people who are most affected are the least consulted," he added.

Delaney also pointed out that Luas works around the city were also hindering businesses.

"By 2006 we will have spent €53bn in trying to resolve our capacity constraints, yet as we approach 2004 we still have a public transport system in constant chaos and a road network which is grinding to a halt," he said.

Earlier, Iarnród Eireann confirmed that the entire southside Dart line from Connolly Station to Greystones would be closed as part of the ongoing work to increase capacity.

A spokesperson for the rail company said there was no "good time" to carry out this work.