Current estimated cost

Date: 08 July 2010


Dáil Question No: 318 *To ask the Minister for Transport the current total estimated cost of Transport 21 over the lifetime of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. - Thomas P. Broughan.

Answered by the Minister for Transport
(Noel Dempsey T.D)

Reply

Under Transport 21 Exchequer funding for transport infrastructure amounting to almost €9 billion has been provided as follows over the last four years:

Expenditure in 2006 - €1.937 billion
Expenditure in 2007 - €2.357 billion
Expenditure in 2008 - €2.504 billion
Expenditure in 2009 - €2.124 billion

In addition to this, in excess of €2 billion of private investment in national roads has been secured.

The Department's capital allocation for 2010 is €2.081 billion.

The Transport 21 investment framework runs until 2015. However, because of the changed economic circumstances, it is now likely that not all of the projects originally identified in Transport 21 will be completed by 2015.

Therefore transport investment priorities have been reviewed.

These priorities, which are set out in the Renewed programme for Government, are as follows:

Future national road priorities-
· the progression of the Atlantic Road Corridor, and
· the improvement of other key strategic routes.

Public transport priority -
· increased long term capacity, particularly through
– the construction of Metro North
– the construction of DART Underground and the implementation of the associated electrification, signalling and rolling stock investments.

It is also a priority to continue planning other projects for earliest possible delivery when the economic situation improves.

No projects have been cancelled and Transport 21 continues to provide the strategic framework for capital spending on transport infrastructure into the future.