Some offices, businesses, restaurants, and cafes in Dublin city centre will have their water cut off during the morning business peak to make way for Luas works on Thursday.

Luas Cross City has confirmed that businesses on Marlborough Street east and Lower Abbey Street will have no water supply from 6.30am until 11am.

Luas Cross City Communications manager Grainne Mackin said underground utilities need to be moved in order to facilitate Luas works.

She said the organisation is working to minimise the disruption to businesses.

Bernard Robinson, owner of Le Phare cafe on Lower Abbey Street, says he will be forced to close his business during the water cut-off.

“I got an email this morning from Dublin Town. It said water will be out on the morning of the 4th. But why couldn’t it be done at a more suitable time?”

“I do a lot of outside catering. There’s already stuff scheduled for that day and I may have to go to (customers) and say ‘it can’t be done’.”

“In the planning, they were required to do the works in the daytime so that they wouldn’t wake people with the drilling and noise. I can understand that. But I just can’t understand how shutting off water has to be at peak time.”

“The Luas works have been outside our door since nearly six weeks. I’m not against the works because the Luas will be a great addition to the area.”

But he said: “Small businesses don’t have water tanks on their roofs.”

Ms Mackin said the vast majority of businesses in Dublin city centre have water storage tanks which can provide a supply of water for 24 hours.

“For us the most important thing is to minimise the amount of time. The water shut-off has to happen. It’s about trying to identify the time that it has to happen.”

She added: “We’ve given a commitment to be off the street for Operation Open City on December 7/8 on time for Christmas.”

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Online Editors