Mr. Hugh Creegan:

Deputy Cronin asked about the seven phases we had. It is important to state we try to make our projects as bureaucratically light as we can. Bureaucracy does not get anyone anywhere. One of the phases is an application form at the beginning of project and the final phase is review after the job has finished of what we have learned and what mistakes were made so we do not make them again. The phases in between are what people have to do. They usually have to go through a planning process and a tender process and it has to be constructed. For very small projects, we can roll up these phases to make them as bureaucratically light as we can. This works pretty well.

Regarding DART+, at the time the railway order was being prepared the official transport strategy for Dublin, based on its plans for years, stated that Maynooth was the end of the electrification. We then had an updated transport strategy, on which the Department and the Minister have signed off, to state it will be Kilcock. An Bord Pleanála truncated the scheme at Maynooth and we now have no depot. We have to ascertain where the depot will go. It makes a difference. If the depot is in the same place, we will still be within 1 km of Kilcock and it will make it very easy. If it is in a different place, we will have to see the consequences. I ask Deputy Cronin to give us three months and the depot position will be clarified. At that point, the position will be much clearer on Kilcock and the timeline. There will be double-tracking into Kilcock.