Paul McAuliffe
Ceist:40. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport when he expects a business case to be made for the Finglas Luas project by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55828/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 16 December 2021
Ceisteanna (40)
Freagraí scríofa
Earlier this year I issued Public Spending Code - Decision Gate 0 approval to the National Transport Authority in relation to Luas Finglas. That approval permits the project continue its development in preparation for Decision Gate 1 approval.
Decision Gate 1 approval requires the preparation of a Preliminary Business Case and a key component of the finalisation of a Preliminary Business Case is obviously completion of the route options selection and preliminary design of the chosen option.
I understand that over 700 submissions were received during last year’s consultation on the Emerging Preferred Route and these were taken into account in the development of the Preferred Route for the project.
The Preferred Route was published last week and a public consultation has been launched to enable all stakeholders to give their views. The consultation will run until 20th January 2022. The submissions received as part of that consultation process will inform the final route option selection and the preliminary design work for the route.
I am informed that work will continue throughout next year on the preliminary design and the development of the Preliminary Business Case with an expectation that a Preliminary Business Case will be ready for submission to my Department in 2023.