Denis Naughten
Question:633 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Transport the status on the planned metro lines for Dublin Airport and Tallaght; the timescale and budgets envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15864/03]
Written Answers. - Light Rail Project.
Last year, the Government agreed that the development of the Dublin metro should be undertaken on a phased basis and as a public private partnership. It also decided that a link from the city centre to Dublin Airport was to be included in phase 1. Since then the Railway Procurement Agency has concentrated its work on developing proposals for this phase. A preliminary public consultation has taken place and a pre-qualification exercise for potential bidders was launched by the RPA in mid-2002.
In November 2002 my Department received the outline business case – OBC – for phase 1 of the metro from the RPA. The Dublin metro is the largest proposed infrastructure project in the history of the State. Careful consideration of the OBC is being undertaken. The estimated costs are substantial and a number of additional aspects of the proposal are being assessed as part of my evaluation of the OBC. These additional aspects concern the potential impact of the project on the general Government balance in the context of the EU Stability and Growth Pact and the legal, planning and technical considerations based on practice elsewhere, particularly Madrid where the authorities have developed a strong international reputation for the speedy completion of the Madrid metro extensions at a relatively low cost.
I have asked the RPA to refine the OBC for its preferred solution in the light of the above aspects and I expect to receive its response in the coming weeks. The actual cost of the metro to the Exchequer would be largely dependent on the bids received from the private sector. Following consideration of all these issues by my Department, I intend to bring proposals to the Government. I am also considering proposals for legislative change so as to accelerate and streamline the delivery of critical transport infrastructure projects, such as the metro, thereby reducing the cost of such infrastructure.
In relation to a metro line to Tallaght, such a line is included in the Dublin Transportation Office's A Platform for Change metro proposals. However, it is not included in the proposed phase 1. The decision on any further extensions to the metro will be dependent on the results of the development of phase 1.