Nature and outcome of meeting between Minister for Transport and various agencies and stakeholders re Transport 21

Date: 13 March 2008


Dáil Question No: 103 *To ask the Minister for Transport the nature of a recent meeting between himself, local authorities, business organisations, An Garda Síochána, CIÉ and the Railway Procurement Agency; if the outcome of this meeting was to postpone public transport investment projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. - Fergus O'Dowd

Answered by the Minister for Transport
(Noel Dempsey)

REPLY
A number of major Transport 21 projects are planned for the period up to 2015, which will have a major impact on Dublin city centre. These include Metro North, the rail Interconnector and the cross-city and Lucan Luas lines. There will also be other major construction activity during the same period, including the renewal of water and electricity services and a number of large private developments.

I met the principal implementing agencies, An Garda Síochána and business representatives on 6 March to get an update on the major Transport 21 projects in Dublin, to identify the principal concerns of the business community and to review progress on traffic planning for the construction phase. I intend that this will be the first in a regular series of meetings to review progress.

It is clear from earlier consultations with Dublin City Council and the Railway Procurement Agency that construction of both Metro North and the cross-city Luas line at the same time would be too disruptive for traffic in Dublin City Centre. I am therefore minded to approve a revised strategy for the construction of the cross- city Luas line which, subject to an enforceable railway order, would involve carrying out works for this line at the same time as the Metro works where the sites for both overlap and the completion of the remaining on-street Luas works after the completion of the on-street Metro works. Off-street Luas works (such as on the old Broadstone railway line) should be able to proceed at the same time as Metro construction. I will make a final decision on this revised strategy when I have considered the views of the relevant agencies and business interests.