Vol. 414 No. 2
10 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he will outline his plans, if any, to alleviate road traffic congestion by way of augmentation of the rail system with particular reference to areas of population expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
21 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he will outline the terms of reference and the membership of the committee established by him to consider the feasibility of a rail link to Dublin Airport; when the committee is likely to report; if the committee is examining the whole question of public transport in Dublin; if he will ensure that consideration is given to routing any rail link to the airport through heavily populated areas such as Finglas and Ballymun; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
23 Mrs. Fennell asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he has any plans for a rapid rail or busway transport system on the old Harcourt Street line; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
63 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he will outline his intentions regarding a rapid rail link with both Dublin Airport and Tallaght; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
65 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he will outline the reporting date which has been given to the high level working group in his Department dealing with the light rail option for the former Harcourt Street rail line; and in view of the long delay in dealing with this matter whether he will ask the group to issue an interim report.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 21, 23, 63 and 65 together.
I have extended the remit of the expert working group, which was established to assess and report on the most suitable public transport options for the former Harcourt Street line and the Tallaght area, to include examination of the possibility of developing a light rail system for Dublin. This work will include an examination of the public transport requirements of areas such as Finglas and Ballymun. In this context, consideration of a recently completed preliminary feasibility study carried out by Aer Rianta and CIE into a rail link to Dublin Airport will form part of the group's work. In the case of the Harcourt Street line, I expect to receive a report from the expert group shortly.
A number of important issues must be evaluated comprehensively including the overall network of operations and the financing of the investment involved. These matters are being examined in detail by the working group which I have asked to report to me as soon as possible.
Membership of the expert working group comprises representatives of the Departments of Tourism, Transport and Communications, Environment and Finance, Dublin Corporation, Dublin County Council, the Dublin Transportation Task Force, Iarnród Éireann and Bus Atha Cliath.
I thank the Minister for his lengthy reply. Is the Minister prepared to vigorously pursue the necessary funding to provide the kind of network required, conscious of the congestion on our national primary and secondary routes, and the need to relieve road traffic by way of alternative means of transport on the rail links?
I am committed to seeking each and every opportunity for investment in our rail system — and in our proposed light rail system — which is currently being studied. I will certainly leave no stone unturned in seeking such investment. Indeed I am on record as seeking such investment from the public and private sectors.
Has the Minister made any progress?
Every time the Minister is asked in the House about the Harcourt Street rail line he replies "shortly", "in the near future" or "very quickly". Will the Minister give a date, the end of next month, the end of next year or sometime in the future?
Ten years ago, in the constituency of Dublin South, I was very interested in that line and I am still very interested in it. It would be very easy for me to set a date and to say I would provide funds. However, I cannot do that because I have not yet located a source of funds to develop that line. I am ensuring its protection, and funds available at European — and Irish — level are being considered to see if they could be used in developing the line. The Deputy knows that nobody is as committed as I am to the development of that line. If it was possible I would move much more quickly but I cannot do that until I locate the source of the funding for it.
I have two questions. When will the working group complete their study? For some months now the Minister has had a proposal on his desk from a major consortium of international interests, headed by a former boss of CIE, to provide a light rail system for Dublin. Will he give support to this private sector investment proposal so that he can find the finance which he says is not available at present?
I have gone further than that, I have met that group. Many groups are interested in putting forward proposals and I have met two of them.
They have the money.
If it was possible I would not mind showing the Deputies some of the proposals because they are all subject to very substantial EC investment. That is the blockage I face at present.
Is the Minister seriously telling the House that a major integrated public transport policy is dependent on a role for private enterprise? Is there any likelihood of a private enterprise running a public transport system, a light rail system, for Dublin? What are his alternative plans? Will he agree that, since a decision has been taken to scrap the eastern by-pass, the £300 million which was available for roads could now be transferred to building the infrastructure for a light rail system in Dublin city?
I do not have any antipathy to the private sector investing in public transport if I can attract them to such an enterprise. As I said, the major international groups who expressed an interest in helping us to develop our light rail system in Dublin have all said it is contingent on major EC Structural Funds. I have been to Brussels to meet Commissioners to discuss the possibility of locating such funds and I will continue the search. It is not a matter of depending on private funds, it depends on very substantial public funds, mainly from the European Community.
Has the Minister considered approaching his colleague, the Minister for the Environment, to see whether part of the levy imposed on developers in relation to planning permission could be used for the development of a light rail system as distinct from looking for contributions towards the construction of roads?
I have not discussed that suggestion with him but I have discussed with him a number of similar suggestions. My officials have also had discussions with Dublin Corporation about the creative mechanisms we may be able to use to turn income from traffic into investment in light rail.
Deputy Byrne when questioning the Minister about the alleviation of road traffic congestion he mentioned that the proposal for the eastern by-pass has been scrapped. The Minister did not refer to that and I would, therefore, like clarification from him on the proposals for the port relief route?
As the Deputy knows, that is a matter for the Minister for the Environment in the first instance. Suffice it to say that if I can get money——
That is proof of the need for one Minister to cover all transport matters.
——from the Minister for the Environment for the rail system I will gladly take it.
In his reply the Minister said he had been in touch with Brussels in relation to financing and I should like to know what response he received. Will it depend on what will happen at Maastricht? When will a decision be made?
Athens got millions of pounds.
The reactions have not been very encouraging.
Does the Minister expect to have the report from the study group in sufficient time to be able to make a submission to Brussels in the next 12 months for the necessary assistance?
Yes, I do.
