Vol. 411 No. 1
712 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he will make a statement outlining whether he supports the concept of development of a rail link to Tallaght, Dublin 24; and if he will further outline the steps he is taking to advance the project.
As I informed the House on 18 June I have extended the remit of the high level working group, which was originally established to assess and report on the most suitable transport option for the Harcourt Street Line and the Tallaght area, to enable the group to examine the possibility of developing a light rail system for Dublin and and to devise a blueprint for such a system. I have requested the working group to submit their report to me as a matter of urgency.
In addition, I have extended an invitation to the private sector to submit proposals to me for the development of a modern public transport system for Dublin. Already considerable interest is being shown by a number of international transport companies in association with local, private and public interests, in the development of an integrated light rail system for Dublin. However, a number of issues must be evaluated comprehensively, including the possible network of operations and the financing of the investment involved. These matters are being examined in detail by the working group.
