This is the first substantive debate by Dáil Éireann on Transport 21 and I welcome the opportunity to outline the Government's programme for transport investment over the period 2006-15. Unlike before, we now have the resources to improve our infrastructure. This is because of the hard work and enterprise of the people and a Government that works with them.
The seeds of Transport 21 were sown in the decision taken in 2005 budget by the Minister for Finance to implement an extended ten-year capital envelope for transport investment. That important decision was a recognition of the reality of the long timeframes involved in planning, designing and completing large transport infrastructure programmes.
The period between budget 2005 and the announcement of Transport 21 in Dublin Castle on 1 November was used by my Department to develop what is without doubt the most detailed and comprehensive transport plan ever devised in this country. The roots of Transport 21 extend back to June 2002 and the decision by the Government to establish, for the first time in the history of the State, a single Department with responsibility for national roads, aviation and public transport. The reason for doing so, as clearly stated at that time, was to further the development of an integrated transport system nationally.
The specific mandate given to the Department of Transport by the Government was to implement an integrated transport policy designed as far as possible to overcome existing delays, bottlenecks and congestion and to provide the consumer with greater choice by offering alternative modes of transport. In addition, through the integrated approach, the Department was expected to develop and implement policies designed to improve regional balance and reduce rural isolation and social exclusion.
Since 2002, the Department has undertaken substantial work on integration in consultation with other Departments and State agencies. This work takes account of Government policy documents, particularly the national spatial strategy and the regional planning guidelines. The result is a set of guiding principles for integrated transport policy, which is published in the Department of Transport's Statement of Strategy, 2005-2007. These principles provided an important policy backdrop for the preparation of the integrated investment strategy contained in Transport 21.
In preparing Transport 21, the Department also took account of the work already done on investment priorities under the existing capital envelope and of the various strategic studies already completed by my Department and its agencies, including A Platform for Change, the strategic rail review and the National Road Needs Study. The Department also engaged with its State agencies, Córas Iompair Éireann, the Railway Procurement Agency, the National Roads Authority and the Dublin Transportation Office, and relevant Departments to identify the broad direction and priorities of the investment framework. The result of all this detailed and painstaking work is a transport investment strategy that, for the first time, allocated funding for a ten-year period to develop an integrated transport network that substantially enhances connectivity and provides for the development of an integrated transport network in the greater Dublin area.
I am sure Members will be familiar with the details of the projects at this stage and I will not deal with the specifics today. However, Transport 21 can be summarised as follows: completion of the major inter-urban motorways by 2010 and the commencement of the substantial development of the remainder of the national primary road network; transformation of the transport system in the greater Dublin area, with particular focus on the public transport network; completion of the renewal of the national rail network, with a major focus on the provision of enhanced services; and upgrading of the public transport services in provincial cities and the regions.
While the individual projects that make up Transport 21 are important in their own right, the most significant aspect of the programme is the manner in which these individual elements are integrated to provide a highly efficient national transport network that maximises the benefit of the investment for the population at large.
Transport 21 has been specifically developed with a view to supporting the Government's national spatial strategy, which seeks to promote more balanced regional development. This was an important issue for me in the preparation of Transport 21, as I was responsible for bringing the national spatial strategy to fruition during my time as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I am satisfied that, when taken together, Transport 21 and the national spatial strategy clearly demonstrate the joined-up thinking of the Government in the areas of transportation and spatial planning. These Government initiatives will contribute to sustainable development in all its dimensions, economic, social and environmental.
I wish to turn to the important issues of costs and value for money. Transport 21 is a fully costed programme. Its cost of €34.4 billion is based on the aggregate costs of its constituent projects, which are, in turn, primarily based on costs provided by the transport agencies. It has been confirmed by the agencies that the costs and underlying assumptions are as rigorous as possible, taking account of the various stages of development, design and implementation of the projects. I am satisfied, on this basis, that the total funding commitment of €34.4 billion is sufficient for the full implementation of Transport 21. The programme has been criticised in some quarters on the basis that the costs of its individual projects have not been made public. I do not consider it prudent to release such commercially sensitive information until the public procurement processes for individual projects are completed. Some elements of Transport 21, such as traffic management, have global financial provisions rather than individual project allocations.
In recent times, most road and public transport projects have been coming in on budget and many of them have been ahead of schedule. While this augurs well for the successful implementation of Transport 21, significant safeguards are being put in place to ensure Transport 21 is delivered within budget and within the stipulated timeframe. Transport 21 projects will be subject to normal statutory procedures, where required, capital appraisal in line with the Department of Finance's guidelines and the value for money initiatives which were announced by the Minister for Finance last October. The Department of Transport will be responsible for overseeing the implementation, by the various transport agencies and local authorities, of Transport 21. I am establishing a monitoring group, to be chaired by the Department of Transport, which will comprise representatives of all other relevant Departments. The group will be responsible for the high-level monitoring of Transport 21 and will report annually to the Government on issues such as financial and physical progress. Transport 21 addresses the important issue of the capital investment framework for transport for the next ten years. While capital investment is critical, it is just one element of the delivery of an integrated transport system.
When I launched Transport 21, I said I was convinced that a new approach to transport in the greater Dublin area needs to be delivered through a single authority with real powers to ensure there is joined-up thinking and delivery across all transport modes. A high-level four-member team, which is chaired by Professor Margaret O'Mahony and reports directly to me, has been appointed since then. It is charged with finalising a structure for the new transport authority, detailing its remit and responsibilities and identifying the human resources which are critical to its success, taking into account best international practice and experience. The new authority will have responsibility for transport in the greater Dublin area. I did not set any restrictions or limitations on the four-member team's considerations on how the role of the new authority will interact with the future role of other transport bodies in the greater Dublin area. The team is finalising its report and I look forward to examining its findings at an early stage. I intend to bring proposals to the Government for decision as soon as I have considered the team's report. The establishment of the Dublin transport authority will be another crucial step in ensuring the full and timely delivery of Transport 21.
As delivery is a such critical aspect of Transport 21, I have set out clearly the completion dates of key projects. My primary focus is on ensuring that such deadlines are fully met. I am encouraged by the progress that has been made since the launch of Transport 21. I am satisfied the completion dates are realistic and achievable. In 2006, the National Roads Authority expects to complete some 13 projects with a combined length of 82 km and to commence work on 15 projects with a combined length of 334 km. A further 11 projects which are under way will continue construction during 2006. Since the launch of Transport 21, three roads projects have opened to traffic — the N6 Kinnegad to Enfield bypass, the N22 Gortatlea to Farranfore development and N6 Loughrea bypass — and work has commenced on three projects — the N5 Charlestown bypass, the N51 Navan inner relief road and phase one of the M50 upgrade. The latter project will involve the widening of 31 km of motorway from two to three lanes in each direction and the upgrade of the interchanges along this section. The upgrade will take place in two phases, the first of which comprises the widening of the carriageway between the N7 and N4 interchanges and the upgrading of those interchanges. Contracts have been signed and construction will start in a matter of weeks, to be completed by mid-2008, after which it is planned to move to barrier-free tolling.
We are also making real progress on public transport. Four of the seven Luas projects highlighted in Transport 21 have already been advanced. The Railway Procurement Agency has submitted railway order applications in respect of Luas extensions from Sandyford to Cherrywood and from Connolly Station to the docklands. I have appointed an inspector to hold public inquiries into the two applications. The Cherrywood inquiry began on Monday last and, subject to the outcome, it is expected that construction contracts will be awarded later in 2006. It is expected the public inquiry for the docklands extension will begin in May 2006. The RPA is also carrying out public consultations on linking the two existing Luas lines in the city centre, on which an announcement on the preferred route is expected shortly, and on the extension from Tallaght to Citywest. The RPA expects to commence public consultation on the extension from Cherrywood to Bray this month, while a feasibility study on route alignments for the Lucan Luas line is under way. The capacity enhancement project on the Tallaght Luas line is on schedule to deliver an additional 40% in capacity by 2008, by means of the extension of the trams from 30 m to 40 m.
I was happy last Tuesday to launch the public consultation process on the selection of the best route for metro north, which will lead to 41,000 cars a day being removed from Dublin's streets. There will be a metro every 90 seconds, travelling from the city centre to Dublin Airport in 17 minutes and from the city centre to Swords in 26 minutes. It is estimated that at least 80,000 passengers a day will be carried on metro north, which will integrate with Luas, bus, cycling, taxi and rail services and with park and ride services at Swords and Ballymun. Metro north will integrate with metro west, the Maynooth rail line, the Tallaght and Sandyford Luas lines and DART via the interconnector at St. Stephen's Green. The consultation provides outlines for three route options for metro north. It has been indicated that the central route is the strongest from a number of points of view including construction feasibility, fulfilling transportation needs and capital cost. However, the final route will not be chosen until the public consultation process has been concluded, the people have had an opportunity to give their views and the railway order processes have been completed. The RPA will consult widely with people living and working in the city, public representatives, agencies and local authorities, thereby giving people an opportunity to express their views and have them taken into account in the implementation of the project. The RPA is also undertaking a study on route alignments for metro west.
Significant progress is also being made by Iarnród Éireann. A public inquiry into the application for a railway order for the Kildare route project was completed on 2 February. I expect to receive the inspector's findings in the coming weeks. Subject to the issue of the railway order, construction work on the project will commence in the second half of this year. An application for funding from Iarnród Éireann for the construction of a new railway station in the docklands is being assessed by the Department of Transport. If the proposal is found to be acceptable, work is due to commence by the end of 2006. Other projects are being planned outside Dublin. Design work on the Cork commuter rail project has almost been completed. An application for a railway order for the project is expected by the end of April. Subject to the completion of that process and the granting of a railway order, construction will commence by the end of the year. The proposals submitted by Iarnród Éireann for the first phase of the western rail corridor, between Ennis and Athenry, are being examined. I look forward to outlining further progress in this regard in the near future. The first of 67 new rail carriages for the Dublin to Cork railway route will come into service later this month. All of the carriages will be in service by the end of 2006, thereby facilitating the operation of a service on the route every hour. Iarnród Éireann has placed an order for 150 railcars to operate on the remaining intercity routes. The delivery of the railcars will begin in 2007.
At the launch of Transport 21 in November, I repeated my view that buses will continue to play a crucial role in the public transport system. Buses will continue to carry the greatest number of people of all public transport modes even after the significant modal shift has taken place. As I told the Dáil previously, Dublin Bus submitted an application for additional fleet requirements in 2006 and 2007, comprising 200 buses and a new garage. The Department is examining the application with regard to the findings of the Dublin bus network review, which has been submitted by Dublin Bus, and proposals on the reform of the bus market. The Department is examining proposals from Bus Éireann about the development of its fleet between 2006 and 2008. The relevant implementing agencies are responsible for identifying the project milestones necessary to achieve the completion deadlines. The structures I am putting in place — the new transport authority for Dublin and the high-level monitoring group — will assist in ensuring projects are delivered in the published timeframes.
We have seen the beginning of a new dawn in the transport sector in recent times. High-quality roads have been opened and enhanced public transport services such as Luas have come on stream to provide more comfortable, more efficient and safer services. The Government is now focusing clearly on implementation and delivery. The implementation of Transport 21 will give Ireland a first-class transport system that will connect all regions to each other and to our main seaports and airports and will provide greatly enhanced public transport alternatives to the private car in our cities. Transport 21 will give us a transport network that underpins Ireland's competitiveness, promotes balanced regional growth and enhances the quality of life of all citizens for generations to come.