Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
1248. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there are any identified light or heavy rail projects for which funding may be sought from the European Investment Bank by his Department this year or in 2015. [13330/14]
View answerA loan of €150m was recently approved by the EIB in respect of the Luas Cross City line. This is the only light or heavy rail project that is being progressed under the "Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16: Medium Term Exchequer Framework", the Government's capital investment programme that runs until 2016. As there are no other new eligible light or heavy rail projects currently progressing, the question of preparing further applications for funding from EIB does not arise at this time. However, in conjunction with the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform I maintain contact with the EIB regarding the funding of appropriate projects, including public transport projects, which might be prioritised for development under the next capital plan post 2016. The EIB has indicated a keen interest in supporting suitable public transport projects which address bottlenecks and bring added value to the transport network.
