Vol. 491 No. 6
58 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the work carried out to date to ensure that the funds earmarked for Luas are used to address public transport projects in the greater Dublin area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12799/98]
As I outlined in my reply to Question No. 179 on 26 May, the Community Support Framework monitoring committee is the body with responsibility for making decisions on the reallocation of Structural Fund assistance decommitted from the light rail project. I understand that the committee will consider this matter later this month. My primary concern has always been to ensure that Ireland does not lose the EU funding involved and that objective will now be achieved through the timely transfer of this money to other suitable projects.
Consultations have begun on the reallocation of the EU funds decommitted from the light rail project. I will be working hard to ensure that a reasonable proportion of the EU funding decommitted from the light rail project will be used to address public transport requirements.
My Department has also been working for some time with CIE to identify a range of potentially suitable public transport projects which can be contractually committed by end 1999 and where work could be completed by 2001. On the basis of this work, separate meetings have recently taken place at official level between my Department and the Department of Finance and the European Commission.
