Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Significant progress continues to be made in the provision of increased capacity for public transport.

With regard to the rail network, the Cork to Midleton and the Ennis to Athenry lines will reopen later this year while capacity on other services will be refocused to match capacity with demand at a time when the overall position is leading to reduced demand for public transport on particular services at particular times.

The year 2010 will see the completion of the Kildare route project, which will double capacity on that route, and the opening of phase 1 of the Navan rail line from Clonsilla to Pace, near Dunboyne. On the Luas network, construction is continuing on the Luas extensions to the docklands and Cherrywood, with both lines opening for service in 2010. The contract to commence construction of the Luas extension to Citywest was signed recently and the line is expected to open for services in 2011.

Significant planning work for rail, metro and Luas projects is also continuing. The preliminary hearing by An Bord Pleanála on the railway order application for metro north is scheduled for 2 March and the Railway Procurement Agency intends to lodge further applications for railway orders with An Bord Pleanála for the cross-city Luas line and metro west later this year. CIE will also lodge a railway order application for the DART underground later in the year.

As I have stated previously the provision of increased capacity is my key consideration in determining public transport investment priorities in the period ahead. In that context, metro north and the DART underground are particularly important rail investments as they form a core part of the planned integrated public transport network for the greater Dublin area envisaged by Transport 21.

The recent Deloitte report concluded, in the case of Dublin Bus in particular, that the current fleet size is more than adequate to serve current demand. My priority in regard to the bus network is, therefore, working with the bus companies and the local authorities to maximise the efficient and effective utilisation of the existing fleet. In that context, Dublin Bus will focus in the period ahead on a reorganisation of its network in accordance with the recommendations contained in the Deloitte report. My Department is also engaged with local authorities on the provision of bus priority measures such as the bus gate at College Green and green routes in the provincial cities in order to maximise the potential of the network.

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