Gay Mitchell
Ceist:3 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the reason he did not make an application for EC funds to upgrade the Dublin-Belfast rail link.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin-Belfast Rail Link.
Proinsias De Rossa
Ceist:12 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if his attention has been drawn to comments made by the EC Commissioner for Regional Policies, Mr. Bruce Millan, in Belfast on 11 January 1990 that EC money was available for the upgrading of the Belfast-Dublin rail line and that a delay was being caused due to the failure of the Irish Government to apply for funds; if an application for funds has been made; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Michael Bell
Ceist:50 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the reason for the delay in availing of the EC funds available for development of the railways north and south of the Border; if he supports such development; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 3, 12 and 50 together.
I am informed by Córas Iompair Éireann that the report of the study group appointed jointly by Iarnród Éireann and Northern Ireland Railways to determine the optimum investment policy for rail services between Dublin and Belfast in the medium to long-term is still under consideration by the board. When the board have taken their decisions they will be communicating with me in the matter. The question of EC assistance in relation to the line will be considered in the light of developments. The fact that the proposal was not included in the transport operational programme under the National Development Plan, 1989-1993 does not rule out the possibility of EC aid in the matter.
The impact of bomb attacks is a separate issue and unrelated to the consideration of proposals for development of the line.
Is the Minister aware that Commissioner Bruce Millan and Junior Minister in the Northern Ireland Office with responsibility for transport, Mr. Bottomley, both confirmed on radio — I have the tape and I can let the Minister hear it if he wishes — that the Northern Ireland authorities did apply for EC grants and that the only reason the upgrading of the line is not going ahead is "because the Republic's Government did not apply". How were the Northern Ireland authorities able to use the report while the authorities on this side of the Border were not able to do so and that this application was not made?
Because there are different priorities. Of the £95 million approximately available to the Republic in transport structural funding from the EC a maximum of £15 million will be available to me, by agreement with the Commission, for developing rail and bus services. I have to consider whether the allocation of that £15 million should be part of this development or given to other worthwhile developments like, for example, the development of the Clondalkin line or other worthy lines, particularly in Dublin city. It is not simply a matter of getting additional sums. Our direct involvement in upgrading the line referred to would directly affect — I must stress this — our ability to develop other lines like the Clondalkin line which is a direct competitor for those funds.
Is it not a fact that the longstanding statement by the Fine Gael Party that the Government bungled their EC application has now been established? Is it not true that the Government have become partitionists in their attitude that the Unionists in Northern Ireland are strongly advocating an upgrading of this line and our Government are not? Is the reason for all this the fact that the Minister forgot, bungled or omitted to send the application? This was not a planned decision. Will the Minister tell the House when the application was lodged?
I would be delighted to hear the Deputy's priorities in regard to the development of rail lines in Dublin and the rest of the country.
When I am on the Government side I will tell the Minister.
When a fixed sum of money is available for developing rail lines it is my duty, with CIÉ, to try to order the priorities. There are lines in direct competition with the line referred to, particularly the Clondalkin line, which, it is estimated, will cost £28 million. Our involvement in the northern line as suggested would cost us about £40 million and that would take up all the money available from Brussels for developing rail lines. This would mean that I would have to abandon the Clondalkin line. I must give this serious consideration.
Is the Minister telling us that he is not going to make an application?
I am referring to the applications.
The Minister forgot to make them.
I must stress that I am waiting for CIE to submit their proposals on this. I do not wish to pre-empt their view on it.
The Government own CIE.
The improvement of that line would increase the speed of the journey from 1 hour 55 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes and I must consider whether we should dispense with the Clondalkin improvements for the sake of cutting 20 minutes off that journey.
Does this mean that the Minister does not intend to make an application?
The Chair must consider whether the House can dispose of the two remaining questions in the time allotted. We must move to the next question.
We can still apply under the new Community initiative and I propose to do that.
That does not add up to £40 million. The Minister bungled this.