Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 16 Feb 2000

Vol. 514 No. 4

Written Answers. - Rail Network.

Emmet Stagg

Ceist:

109 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the amount of money required to fund (i) the implementation of the rail safety report, (ii) the upgrading of the railway network, (iii) the extension of the railway network, (iv) the building of the Luas on-street light rail system, (v) the placing underground of the Luas from St. Stephen's Green to Broadstone and (vi) the provision of the extra buses for Dublin city, including wheelchair accessible buses; the total finances required; the amount of money available to her Department in this regard; the source in this regard; the way in which she will make up any shortfall; and when these moneys will be provided. [4426/00]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

Public transport investment requirements for the period 2000 to 2006 are set out in detail in the national development plan and can be summarised as follows: railway safety programme 2000-2003, £350 million; mainline rail upgrading/renewal, £150 million; short-term suburban rail development, £185 million; surface element of Luas, £430 million; and Dublin bus network development, £120 million. As regards railway safety, the national plan states that before the end of the railway safety programme in 2003, the Government will reconstitute the railway safety task force to prepare recommendations for a second five year programme.

The geotechnical study of the underground element of Luas has been completed and estimates the cost of the preferred technical route alignment at about £300 million. The strategic rail study is nearing completion and I expect to receive the report shortly. It will set out recommendations, including costings, for the longer term development of the suburban rail network. The national plan includes a £500 million contingency provision for both these items.

The public transport investment provisions for the greater Dublin area are in accordance with the recommendations of the DTO's Dublin Transportation Blueprint 2000-2006. The DTO is currently working on an updated transportation strategy for the period 2000-2016 and this will identify the implications, if any, for the investment strategy set out in the blueprint.

The principal funding sources for the investment programme are set out in the national development plan. They are the Exchequer, EU, PPPs and CIE internal resources. The level of Exchequer funding will be determined annually as part of the Estimates process. The Estimates provision for 2000 is £236 million, comprising £100 million for railway safety, £90 million for Luas and £46 million for other public transport investment.

I have already made it clear that if further funding beyond that identified in the national development plan is required, it will be provided. The capital investment outlined above is additional to the annual Exchequer subvention to CIE, which in 2000 amounts to £115 million.