Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2015
594. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the fact that the Luas project Lucan, line F1, was part of Government plans since the publication of A Platform for Change in 2000 and was at the environmental impact statement stage when work was suspended due to the downturn in public finances, his plans for resuming this project at the earliest opportunity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8741/15]
View answerGiven the constraints on the public finances, a number of projects, including the extension of the Luas to Lucan, were deferred under the Government's 5-year capital programme, Infrastructure & Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016 - Medium Term Exchequer Framework, published in November 2011.
The priorities under the current capital plan are to protect investment made to date and to progress affordable projects such as Luas Cross City which add value to the existing network. Luas Cross City is due to open at the end of 2017.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). In this regard the NTA is in the process of preparing a new transport strategy for the GDA comprising the counties of Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow covering the period 2015 to 2035. This will include a review of the public transport requirements for the Lucan area.
It is intended that the NTA's draft transport strategy will be available for public consultation in mid-2015. As a first step in that process, the Authority invited views and opinions on what might be addressed in the transport strategy. The closing date for submissions has just passed.
In addition, by mid-2015 I expect to finalise a review of a number of studies currently underway, including the Fingal/North Dublin Transport Study, the updated business case for DART Underground, and a preliminary business case for the Swords/Airport/City Centre BRT Corridor in conjunction with the development of the transport strategy for the region.
The outcome from all this work will inform the prioritisation of projects to meet the GDA public transport requirements over the coming years. Delivery of projects prioritised will be dependent on the funding available including from non Exchequer sources.
