Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Olivia Mitchell for raising this matter and giving me an opportunity to respond. While Transport 21 involves a large commitment of financial resources, those resources are finite. Transport 21 provides funding for the delivery of an extensive rail-based network between 2006 and 2015. The network is based on the Dublin Transportation Office's strategy document, A Platform for Change. The Railway Procurement Agency is responsible for the delivery of the Luas and metro elements of Transport 21. In the short to medium term, the agency is focusing on delivering all the Luas and metro projects for which financial support is provided in Transport 21. The Dublin Transportation Office's strategy remains the longer-term strategic framework for transport in the greater Dublin area.

Funding is provided for feasibility studies on the elements of the A Platform for Change which are not included in Transport 21, including a metro line from Tallaght via Kimmage to the city centre and the proposed Luas line from the city centre to Dundrum via Terenure. The RPA will investigate the feasibility of these suggested projects during the timescale of Transport 21. This work will help to define in more detail the corridors to be used for the projects.

The areas referred to by the Deputy are served by two quality bus corridors — the Rathfarnham and Tallaght corridors — and a significant number of bus services. As well as providing for a major expansion of the Luas network and the new metro routes, Transport 21 makes a substantial financial provision for the development of bus services and the doubling of the quality bus network over the lifetime of the programme.

The Government has taken decisions on Transport 21, particularly on the key elements of an integrated transport network for the greater Dublin area, based on a robust professional analysis by the Dublin Transportation Office and the relevant transport delivery agencies. We have developed a growing momentum over the last 12 months on the delivery of this large investment programme. As we cannot do everything at once, we have to prioritise. That does not mean that projects which are not scheduled for construction during Transport 21 are off the agenda. Our intention is that feasibility and planning work should proceed on the projects so they are ready for a future investment programme.

See this speech in context