Vol. 505 No. 1
46 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her attention has been drawn to the public concern over the lack of public transport to service the requirements of the northside of Dublin city; the improvements, if any, she has over the coming months and years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12948/99]
47 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her attention has been drawn to the impediments to greater use of the northern suburban rail line caused by inadequate parking at the greater Dublin stations and inadequate capacity on rolling stock; the plans, if any, she has to fund the urgently required improvements pending extra demands caused by the extension of DART services to Malahide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13036/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 47 together.
Improvements in the Northern suburban rail service have already been introduced. Of the 25 new diesel rail cars delivered this year, eight have been commissioned and are already in service on the Northern suburban line. The remaining 17 are currently being commissioned and are expected to be in service by November 1999 and will be used on the Dublin suburban services.
With regard to the DART, ten new carriages will be supplied in September 1999 and a further 16 will be delivered in September 2000. These carriages will be used to enhance existing services and to operate six car train sets. They will also cater for the extended DART network to Malahide which is scheduled to commence in mid-2000.
A new station was opened at Fairview and there are ongoing improvements at stations along the line. Real time passenger information has also been installed at selected stations.
Over £2 million of Exchequer funds has been made available in 1999 to provide over 1,900 car parking spaces at a number of railway stations on the Dublin suburban rail network, including Portmarnock and Laytown.
