Billy Timmins
Ceist:45 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Public Enterprise when the DART service to Greystones will be in operation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21244/99]
Written Answers. - Rail Services.
Richard Bruton
Ceist:60 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the steps, if any, she is taking to ensure that the extension of the DART service to Greystones and Malahide will be available to commuters in line with previous ministerial pronouncements. [20819/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 60 together.
The infrastructure work on the DART extension to Greystones, undertaken with the aid of EU funding, was completed earlier this year. Iarnród Éireann had planned to introduce a partial service in late summer. However, the introduction of this service has been delayed due to ongoing industrial relations issues.
The Labour Court issued an interim recommendation urging the unions to lift an embargo on the training of newly recruited drivers and the testing of the line while the court was considering the substantive issues. Subsequently the Labour Court issued its final recommendation on 3 August and this proposed an £8,000ex gratia lump sum payment to serving DART drivers in full and final settlement of all issues before the court. Neither recommendation was accepted by the drivers. Subsequent discussions between unions and management have not managed to find a solution and claims have since been put forward on behalf of other groups in Íarnród Éireann.
Until the industrial relations issues have been resolved it will not be possible to give an estimated start-up date for the Greystones DART service. However, Iarnród Éireann has informed me that once the current dispute is settled it will take approximately six weeks to test the line before introducing a partial service.
All the infrastructural works on the Malahide extension will be completed by the end of this year. It is expected that partial services on the Malahide line could commence in summer 2000. Full services on the extended line should be available early in 2001 after the delivery of the additional rolling stock.