Vol. 524 No. 4
64 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the plans she has to improve the public transport network in the Dublin area over the coming months to adequately meet the demands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22527/00]
73 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the plans she has to ensure an improvement in public transport in order to ease current serious traffic problems; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22792/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 73 together.
I refer the Deputies to my response to Questions Nos. 32 and 79 of 20 June 2000.
The national plan provides for £2.2 billion of investment in public transport in the period 2000 to 2006. A sum of £1.6 billion has been allocated specifically for the greater Dublin area for the period 2000 to 2006.
Funding for regional transport and on mainline rail development amounts to £750 million. This is primarily aimed at improving mainline rail safety and enhancement of regional bus and rail services.
The Dublin Transportation Office recently published a transportation strategy for the period 2000 to 2016, which identifies both short and longer term transport investment requirements. Earlier this year, I announced Government approval in principle for the development on a PPP basis of a metro. Preparatory planning work is already under way.
My Department is also actively involved with local authorities in the Cork, Limerick and Galway regions in relation to planning, land use and transportation studies. These studies will bring forward public and other transport proposals for the relevant areas. I will be favourably disposed to supporting these proposals, where they are fully integrated with coherent land use development strategies and where they provide for the implementation of effective traffic management and bus priority measures.
Developments expected in the coming months in Dublin include: the entry into service of ten new DART carriages. Four of the DART units are in service; the remaining units will enter service by mid-November. They also include entry into service in spring 2001 of a further 16 DART carriages which have been delivered and are undergoing commissioning, and the introduction of full services on the DART extensions to Greystones and Malahide following the resolution of industrial relations difficulties. Work is well advanced on doubling and resignalling the track between Clonsilla and Maynooth and will be completed by year end. Additional services will be operated on the Maynooth corridor from January 2001.
Work is also under way on upgrading the Dublin/Mullingar railway line. Four Quality Bus Corridors are in operation in Malahide, Stillorgan, Lucan and Finglas and two more for Clondalkin North and Rathfarnham are due for completion year end. The new Barrow Street DART station will open before the year end. Fifty of 100 additional buses have been delivered and the remainder are on target for delivery by the year end.
