Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Question Nos. 91 and 93 together.

The programme for Government contains a specific commitment to develop a metro for Dublin with a link to Dublin Airport. The Railway Procurement Agency has submitted to my Department a detailed business case for a metro from the city centre to Dublin Airport while Iarnród Éireann submitted proposals last July for an integrated rail network in the greater Dublin area. These proposals include the electrification of the Kildare, northern and Maynooth lines, a DART service to the airport off the northern line and an interconnector tunnel linking Heuston Station to the docklands to enable greater integration of rail services.

I expect to put proposals to Government in the near future for a ten year transport investment framework in the light of the announcement by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement of agreement in principle to a ten year capital investment envelope for transport. This plan will set out a comprehensive investment strategy for the greater Dublin area within the policy framework established by the document published by the Dublin Transportation Office, entitled A Platform for Change, and will take account of the proposals referred to above.

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