Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Nov 1998

Vol. 496 No. 3

Written Answers. - Public Transport.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

125 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has received from CIE details of its total requirement for capital funding in the context of the preparation of the National Development Plan 2000-6; if so, the gross figures and, specifically, the costings for the revised Luas project, bus fleet expansion in Dublin Bus and the total railway requirements; and if she will make a statement on the progress made in securing Government approval for this funding within this period. [22382/98]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

At my request, CIE prepared a number of public transport investment reviews, covering mainline rail, Dublin suburban rail, Bus Éireann, provincial cities and rail freight. These identified investment requirements over the period to 2006, of just over £1 billion. In the case of Dublin Bus, proposals for investment in the region of £45 million have been received. The mainline rail review identified an investment requirement of £218 million, while the Dublin suburban rail figure was £95 million. A significant proportion of the railway investment figures would have safety related benefits which overlap with the 15 year safety related investment requirements identified by the IRMS study.

CIE has not submitted any estimate of the cost for the revised light rail project, though I expect to shortly receive an updated budget estimate for the Tallaght line.

The preparations for the formulation of the National Development Plan for the period 2000 to 2006 are well under way. In June last, my Department made an initial submission to the Department of Finance for EU funding for public transport projects for this period. This submission in turn took account of submissions made by the CIE Group which set out their proposed investment plans for bus and rail transport projects.

The Department of Finance will engage in a series of consultations with all relevant parties with a view to finalising a submission to Government. That submission will be considered in the spring of 1999 in the context of formulating the National Development Plan. When completed, the plan will form the basis for Ireland's application to the EU Commission for funding in the post 1999 period.