Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The issues the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Callely listed are issues that have been discussed in the ten-year multi-annual transport review. The Department of Finance and the Minister for Transport will make a final decision over the coming weeks. The Minister announced the multi-annual programme in the budget last December and the debate on the decisions to be made in that context now opens up. However, there is a finite sum available, and even if the figure is slightly bigger because of the changes to the Stability and Growth Pact, it is still not large enough to accommodate every single project that is being proposed everywhere. The issue of the respective views on the toll bridge held by the NRA and the Department has been mentioned but not debated at this sub-committee. However, the matter is being debated in the Department and in the NRA to ascertain the feasible options. If the Deputy tables a question, he will receive the update from the Minister.

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