Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I cannot give the Deputy that assurance. The budget of almost €33 billion in respect of Transport 21 is a multi-annual package which ensures funding for a project which does not commence on time owing to planning delays and so on will not be returned to the Exchequer at the end of the year as is the position in regard to unspent departmental funding. I cannot assure the Deputy that money will not be moved around within Transport 21.

The sum referred to by the Deputy was taken from the public transport programme and reallocated to future projects under Transport 21. The Department has an envelope of almost €33 billion which will be spent. It is my duty and that of my Department to ensure moneys not spent in a particular area are reallocated to another area.

The Deputy asked specifically if there have been any indicative changes to the timetables of metro north or metro west? No such changes have been made, bearing in mind cutbacks in other areas and so on. I have said on a number of occasions that the original timetable for Transport 21 is indicative. Where issues arise, money will be moved around. The completion date for the entire metro west project remains at 2014. The project has been identified as a public private partnership project. The Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, indicated, when announcing the preferred route alignment, the possibility of it being implemented on a phased basis and this will be discussed with the prospective PPP bidders.

The scheduled completion date for metro north is 2013. This takes into account the additional planning work required by the scope changes made arising from the public consultation process. The projected completion date for Lucan Luas is 2013. An overlap between metro north and the DART extension might result in a delay in this regard. However, the position is not yet clear. I cannot provide totally reliable completion dates until the tendering process is completed.

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