Written Answers. - Dublin Light Rail.
Seamus Brennan
Question:
202
Mr. S. Brennan
asked the
Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications
the reason for the delay in progressing the Dublin Light Rail plan as provided in the Operational Programme; the expected timescale for each of the proposed lines; the order in which the proposed lines will be constructed; the cost of each line, including land acquisition costs; the light rail system to be used; the arrangements, if any, for environmental impact studies; the locations of proposed stations on each line; and if the Railway Act will be used to facilitate the purchase of any land required.
[2090/95]
There has been no delay in progressing the Dublin light rail project. Detailed work on the project, for which provision has been included in the National Development Plan and the Operational Programme for Transport 1994-1999, is proceeding satisfactorily.
The basic light rail network recommended by the Dublin Transportation Initiative is for lines to Tallaght, Cabinteely, via the Harcourt Street line, and Ballymun and would cost approximately £300 million to implement. In the final report of the DTI, which will be published shortly, the cost of implementing the individual lines, is estimated as follows: Tallaght, £79.2 million; Cabinteely, £70.1 million; Ballymun, £55.7 million. In addition, provision has been made for estimated expenditure of £93.7 million on fixed costs associated with the DTI recommended network. Possibilities for further extensions to the basic network will also be reported on in the final report of the DTI.
The basic network cannot be fully constructed within the EU and other resources totalling £200 million set out in the National Development Plan. Moreover, a longer time frame than that of the National Development Plan and the operational programme, which covers the period from 1994 to 1999, will be needed to complete the basic network.
The objective is to have two priority phases of the light rail network constructed in the period up to 1999 at an estimated cost, exclusive of any financing charges, of £200 million. In this context my Department in conjunction with a high level project team in CIE have for some time been engaged in detailed planning and preparatory work to advise on the optimum combination of light rail links recommended by the DTI to be constructed by 1999 on the basis of a number of criteria, including financial performance, congestion alleviation, ease of construction and environmental impact. All of the bodies involved in the planning and provision of transportation in the Dublin area are cooperating in this work which embraces all aspects of the light rail network. The provisional finding arising from this work is that links to Tallaght and Dundrum should be constructed during the period of the operational programme and this position was noted and approved by the Government in October 1994.
The decision in relation to the two priority phases to be constructed by 1999 does not imply any abandonment of the remaining phases of the basic network.
In relation to legislative arrangements for the light rail network, the legal advice is that enactment of new legislation to provide a comprehensive legal framework for the development of the light rail system for Dublin is desirable. It is my intention to submit proposals to the Government in this matter in the near future. These proposals will deal with a range of issues associated with the development of the network, including environmental impact assessment, land acquisition etc.
