Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 18 Jun 2003

Vol. 568 No. 6

Written Answers. - Strategic Rail Review.

Denis Naughten

Question:

273 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Transport the cost of the consultancy fee for the strategic rail review; the cost of the publication of the report; the additional fee to be paid to a company (details supplied) to perform a review of the western rail line; the time-scale for the completion of this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17128/03]

Denis Naughten

Question:

274 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Transport if he has requested a company (details supplied) to correct factual errors in the strategic rail review; the cost to his Department of such a revision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17129/03]

Minister for Transport (Mr. Brennan):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 273 and 274 together.

The total cost of the strategic rail review was €649,558, including VAT, and the printing of the report cost a further €45,115, including VAT.

Arising from some perceived inaccuracies in the strategic rail review, my Department requested Booz Allen Hamilton to consider the issues that had been raised. Booz Allen Hamilton has reported back to my Department to the effect that it has found no errors of any consequence in the report and that the perceived inaccuracies were the result of a misreading of some aspects of the report. Some minor errors were detected but these were not considered to undermine in any way the review's findings. There was no additional cost for this analysis and a copy of the papers in question have been forwarded to the Western Development Commission.

Arising from my meetings with interested parties in the west regarding the western rail corridor, I have announced that I will make some consultancy advice from Booz Allen Hamilton available to the four regional authorities and the Western Development Commission who would have primary interest in the western rail corridor. This will be provided in the context of the regional authorities' development of the regional planning guidelines which is now under way throughout the eight regional authorities.

The cost of the additional work by Booz Allen Hamilton on the western rail corridor is still the subject of discussion with my Department. I expect this work to commence in the early autumn and to be concluded within a number of weeks thereafter.