Vol. 500 No. 2
122 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her attention has been drawn to the delay in the implementation of the ministerial announcement of 1 October 1996 by one of her predecessors of the DART extension to Greystones; the reason for this delay; and the steps, if any, she is taking to expedite the availability of the extended service to commuters at the earliest possible date. [3799/99]
In October 1996 the then Minister for Transport Energy and Communications, Deputy Michael Lowry, indicated that the DART service to Greystones would be operational by the end of 1998.
While that was a reasonable expectation at that time there have been a number of factors which have delayed the project in the interim. Key among these was a decision by Iarnród Éireann to undertake work on Greystones and Malahide extensions simultaneously rather than construct Greystones first.
I set out a revised timetable in my previous reply of 3 November 1998. The timetable for development remains as stated. However, Iarnród Éireann has, I understand, now decided to commence a partial service on the Greystones line in late summer 1999 in advance of the arrival of the new DART carriages.
