Mr. Peter Walsh:

I am happy to take those questions. We work very closely with the NTA. We are jointly engaged in several endeavours, including the operation and expansion of the Luas, the MetroLink project and the light rail project for Cork. However, for any project currently in the planning process, all options must be examined and that must start with the lowest possible intervention. The process must consider the online aspect, alternatives and public transport. That work is done by the design team. The sponsoring agency is the roads authority. The local authority, in the first instance, will put out a contract for the project in most cases. Sometimes it is done in-house but in most cases the project will go out to contract for design engineers to take on the development of the design. Then they will have to make their way through a seven-phase process set out in our project management guidelines and follow an appraisal process set out in the public spending code and reflected in our project appraisal guidelines. It is a comprehensive suite of guidelines and procedures that require all options to be looked at. I hope that gives the Deputy some reassurance. We are certainly not jumping to any conclusions on any of these projects.