Vol. 555 No. 3
226 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the position in regard to the development of LUAS or an alternative, with particular reference to the required services in North Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18570/02]
232 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport his plans for the future development of the commuter rail services serving Maynooth, Leixlip, Celbridge and Kilcock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18576/02]
233 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport his plans to improve the rail services to various towns in north Kildare with particular reference to an improved commuter service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18577/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 226, 232 and 233 together.
I wish to refer the Deputy to my answer to similar questions answered on 9 October 2002. The situation remains unchanged. There are no plans to extend the LUAS system to North Kildare.
227 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Transport the way in which the first stage of the introduction of the metro from the airport to the city centre will work; if it is proposed that the connection will cross the Liffey either by tunnel or bridge; the location the proposed city centre terminus will be; and if the connection of the metro from the city centre terminus to the Harcourt Street line will be carried out by a different contracting and rail order process. [18571/02]
The proposal to develop a metro in Dublin forms an essential part of the Dublin Transportation Office, DTO, strategy document A Platform for Change 2000-2016. The DTO considered that the metro represented the best option for serving Dublin Airport with a rail-based public transport link.
In January 2002, the Government approved the commencement of the procurement process for phase 1 of the Dublin metro involving a line from Dublin Airport and Blanchardstown to the City Centre and Shanganagh. The metro is to be developed by the railway procurement agency, RPA, as a public private partnership.
The RPA has been carrying out all of the necessary preparatory work for phase 1 and a notice requesting expressions of interest was placed in relevant publications in April of this year. Over 30 responses were received from interested companies and consortia. The RPA subsequently carried out a market consultation exercise with respondents.
