I propose to take Questions Nos. 128, 237 and 238 together.
Substantial progress has been made on Transport 21 since 2006:
The five major inter-urban motorways and the M50 upgrade will all have been completed by the end of this year.
The Cork-Midleton line and the first phases of both the Western Rail Corridor and the Navan line have been completed.
The Kildare railway line has been upgraded and a number of new Dublin suburban stations have opened.
The Luas Docklands extension opened last December, City West is well advanced and Cherrywood will be opening later this month.
The Irish Rail fleet has been renewed and over 500 buses have been purchased.
The Transport 21 investment framework runs until 2015. Due to the changed economic circumstances, it is now unlikely that all of the projects originally identified in Transport 21 will be completed by 2015. Therefore transport investment priorities have been reviewed. The Department of Finance published its review of infrastructure investment priorities for the years 2010-2016 in July 2010. In this review, €12.2 billion has been specifically provided for the Department of Transport's capital programme up to 2016, reduced from the original allocation of €15.9 billion for the years 2010-2015. However, improved value for money now available in procurement of infrastructure will go some way to bridge the shortfall.
The position is that no projects have been cancelled and Transport 21 continues to provide the strategic framework for capital spending on transport infrastructure into the future. Planning and design will continue on all projects in Transport 21 to get them as near to "shovel ready" as possible so as to be in a position to move to construction at the earliest possible date once financial circumstances permit. In the meantime, priority projects for investment as identified in the review include—
Metro North and Dart Underground projects;
Completion of the Major Inter Urban-Routes (MIUs);
A number of remaining national roads projects of key strategic importance, such as elements of the Atlantic Route Corridor and the N11;
Investment in the rail safety and traffic management programmes;
In addition to these projects, essential maintenance and a continued high level of investment in the regional roads network will be required;
It is also recognized that increased investment is needed in walking and cycling infrastructure given the potentially large number of trips that can be accommodated on these environmentally sustainable modes.
