Vol. 440 No. 4
323 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if his attention has been drawn to a long-standing demand by people in the Clontarf/Fairview area, Dublin 3, for a DART station that would serve their area; his views on whether this would widen the catchment of the existing DART service at relatively little expense; and if this project will be a priority in any detailed proposals for the expenditure of Structural Funds.
The provision and upgrading of stations and facilities on the suburban rail network is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. The provision of a new DART station at Fairview is among the many recommended improvements to public transport which have emerged from the work of the Dublin Transportation Initiative.
In the National Development Plan, a figure of £20 million (including proposed EU funding) has been included in the investment programme for public transport projects in the Dublin area other than light rail. These projects include the development of public transport interchange facilities, integrated ticketing, the upgrading of suburban rail services and stations on the DART network and possible extensions of the DART. The overall cost of these projects would exceed the level of funding indicated. Accordingly, it will be essential that the expenditure of £20 million is carefully allocated to the most effective projects, in overall public transport terms.
The public transport investment proposals contained in the National Development Plan are under discussion at present with the European Commission in the context of the draft operational programme on transport.
