Vol. 433 No. 3
4 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East) asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the EC funds which are available for the upgrading of the railway system in 1993 and 1994; the way in which these funds will be allocated; and if any further funds will be available from the Cohesion Fund for this purpose.
Under the Operational Programme on Peripherality 1989-1993, it is expected that Structural Funds assistance of £24 million will be available in 1993 for investment in rail projects. The proposed funding will be allocated as follows: (a) upgrading of the Dublin-Belfast Line — £5.04 million; (b) Dublin-Cork rail upgrade project — £7.39 million; (c) Dublin-Waterford rail upgrade project — £2.46 million; (d) provision of commuter rail service on the South West Rail Corridor — £4.68 million; (e) provision new rail freight gantries at Sligo, North Esk (Cork), Limerick, Dundalk and North Wall — £2.7 million; (f) Belview Harbour Rail Link project — £0.98 million and (g) Lavistown Junction (County Kilkenny) rail development project — £0.75 million. An allocation of £128,500 is also being made under the EC Interreg Programme for the refurbishment of Sligo Rail Station.
Provision has also been made within the overall Cohesion Fund allocation for Ireland for 1993 and the first quarter of 1994 for assistance for rail projects. The Department of Finance and my Department are at present in discussions with the EC authorities regarding eligible rail expenditure and the allocation of assistance from the fund. Pending completion of these discussions, it is not possible at this stage to provide details of the specific allocations for individual rail projects.
With regard to 1994 and subsequent years, work is already underway under the supervision of the Department of Finance on the preparation of a national development plan which will set out the Government's priorities for the use of EC funds available to Ireland from the next tranche of the Structural Funds and from the Cohesion Fund.
As part of this process the Government will be seeking EC funding for an integrated package of transport measures, including improvements in strategic rail links. Decisions on the allocation of EC funds to the mainline railway network will be dependent on the Government's assessment of overall national priorities and on the outcome of detailed negotiations with the EC authorities.
