In May 1998, the Government decided that a light rail line should be developed from Sandyford to Ballymun and Dublin Airport. The Sandyford to St. Stephen's Green section of that line has completed the necessary statutory procedures and preliminary physical works have begun. In the meantime, geotechnical studies of the St. Stephen's Green to Broadstone section have been completed and the technical feasibility of constructing this underground section confirmed. A preliminary public consultation process for the Broadstone to Dublin Airport section has also been undertaken and is continuing.
In June 1999, the Government endorsed light rail as a pilot public private partnership project. I subsequently commissioned a consultancy study which recommended that the design and construction of the St. Stephen's Green to Dublin Airport line should be approached on the basis of PPP.
I have also recently received a report from the light rail advisory-action group suggesting that, subject to certain caveats, 2005 should be set as an indicative completion date for the entire route. I will shortly report to Government on the geotechnical and PPP studies, taking account of the advisory group's recommendations.
