Completion of Transport 21 and projected costs

Date: 06 October 2010


Dáil Question Nos: 128,237,238 To ask the Minister for Transport the position regarding the completion of the plans he outlined in the course of the launch of Transport 21; the areas or routes affected in a positive or negative way in the interim; the extent of the change of emphasis or intended funding for any routes in respect of which as yet public announcements have not been made; if it is intended to revise the estimates for capital expenditure in respect of any part of the programme in the current year or the foreseeable future; if he has satisfied himself that the level of funding required will remain available given other competing demands of an imminent nature; and if he will make a statement on the matter. - Bernard J. Durkan. To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which the programme he announced at the launch of T21 has been completed or is on target for completion on time and within cost at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. - Bernard J. Durkan. *To ask the Minister for Transport the total projected cost of T21 as now envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. - Bernard J. Durkan.

Answered by the Minister for Transport
(Noel Dempsey TD)

REPLY

I propose to take Questions 128, 237 and 238 together.
Substantial progress has been made on Transport 21 since 2006:

· The five major inter-urban motorways and the M50 upgrade will all have been completed by the end of this year.
· The Cork-Midleton line and the first phases of both the Western Rail Corridor and the Navan line have been completed.
· The Kildare railway line has been upgraded and a number of new Dublin suburban stations have opened.
· The Luas Docklands extension opened last December, City West is well advanced and Cherrywood will be opening later this month.
· The Irish Rail fleet has been renewed and over 500 buses have been purchased.

The Transport 21 investment framework runs until 2015. Due to the changed economic circumstances, it is now unlikely that all of the projects originally identified in Transport 21 will be completed by 2015. Therefore transport investment priorities have been reviewed.

The Department of Finance published its review of infrastructure investment priorities for the years 2010-2016 in July 2010. In this review, €12.2 billion has been specifically provided for the Department of Transport’s capital programme up to 2016, reduced from the original allocation of €15.9 billion for the years 2010-2015. However, improved value for money now available in procurement of infrastructure will go some way to bridge the shortfall.

The position is that no projects have been cancelled and Transport 21 continues to provide the strategic framework for capital spending on transport infrastructure into the future. Planning and design will continue on all projects in Transport 21 to get them as near to "shovel ready" as possible so as to be in a position to move to construction at the earliest possible date once financial circumstances permit.

In the meantime, priority projects for investment as identified in the review include-

· Metro North and Dart Underground projects
· Completion of the Major Inter Urban-Routes (MIUs)
· A number of remaining national roads projects of key strategic importance, such as elements of the Atlantic Route Corridor and the N11
· Investment in the rail safety and traffic management programmes
· In addition to these projects, essential maintenance and a continued high level of investment in the regional roads network will be required
· It is also recognized that increased investment is needed in walking and cycling infrastructure given the potentially large number of trips that can be accommodated on these environmentally sustainable modes