The indicative timetable for the expanded Luas project, announced last May, provided for the concurrent rather than sequential development of the individual elements of the light rail network. However, the timetable also had to take account of the relative stage of development of each individual element.
For example, the Tallaght to Abbey Street line was already at the stage where the preferred technical route alignment and preliminary design had been substantially completed and it was, therefore, possible to bring it quickly to the statutory approval stage. By contrast, no work had been carried out on the Abbey Street to Connolly Station section. Therefore, while the statutory procedures for the Tallaght line were under way, work was being carried out concurrently on the selection of routing options for the Connolly Station section. These were subsequently put out to public consultation in February. Similarly, while the statutory process for Tallaght was under way, the application for the light railway order for the St. Stephen's Green to Sandyford section was finalised and submitted, route alignments for the Broadstone to Dublin Airport section were developed and put forward for public consultation last December and the process of selecting geotechnical consultants for the underground section got under way.
It is intended to continue this concurrent approach to the development of the individual elements of the project, with the objective of completing the implementation of the expanded network at the earliest possible time. CIE already has a substantial team working on the project, comprising its own staff and a very significant private consultancy input, and no constraints have been placed on CIE as regards the resources required.
We sought a public-private partnership approach. Arthur Andersen is advising on it. It has completed its work and I expect to get its report soon.