Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Mar 2003

Vol. 562 No. 4

Written Answers - Dublin Port Tunnel.

Richard Bruton

Question:

369 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the estimated cost for the Dublin Port Tunnel at the time when the current route was first selected; the original tender price; his latest estimate of its cost; the predicted completion date; the amount of EU aid which was first earmarked for this project; and the reason aid earmarked for the project was lost. [6381/03]

Minister for Transport (Mr. Brennan)

The estimated costs, tender price and predicted completion date for the Dublin Port Tunnel are a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA, and Dublin City Council.

However, I am informed by the NRA that the Dublin Transportation Initiative, DTI, in its final report dated 1994, identified a tunnel from Whitehall to Dublin Port as the preferred option for resolving Dublin Port access problems. The estimated cost of this proposal which was a single bore tunnel only was €104 million. The Dublin Port Tunnel developed from this proposal. However, the current tunnel is very different from that originally set out in the DTI strategy. It is, for example, a twin bore instead of a single bore, it extends to Santry instead of Whitehall, and is much deeper where it passes under houses.

The original tender price was €449 million in June 2000. Together with land and property compensation utilities, supervision costs and other miscellaneous costs, the cost of the current project is €625 million at 2002 prices.

The estimated completion date is early 2005.

There is no EU funding associated with the construction costs of the Dublin Port Tunnel, which are being met by the Exchequer. EU funding through the Cohesion Fund was applied for and made available towards the planning and design costs of the project. The amount of aid sought and paid was €5,849,700. The final payment was received in January 1999.