Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Enabling works on rail projects, such as ground clearance and utility diversions, generally follow the granting of a railway order and are incorporated into the overall cost of projects. No Exchequer funds are currently being spent on enabling works in respect of rail projects, other than metro north, which have not yet secured an enforceable railway order and are, as a consequence, not yet at construction. However, planning and design work, which is at various stages of development on such projects, is ongoing.

The Government approved the funding structure for the metro north PPP last year, including an Exchequer provision for advance works ahead of the main PPP contract and a capital contribution during construction. Since that Government decision, approximately €8 million has been spent by the RPA in respect of enabling works at the Ballymun Interchange on the M50 and at the Mater Hospital site. The works at the Mater site are associated with the interface between metro north and the planned new hospital at the Mater. In the absence of the enabling works at the Mater site, it would not have been possible to provide a station at the location as planned, given that the works being undertaken to deliver the new adult hospital. The works on the M50 were undertaken as part of the current works to widen the M50 to avoid further disruption at a later date with works on metro north. The carrying out of other enabling works, such as utility diversions, is dependent on the granting of a railway order by An Bórd Pleanála.

The oral hearing before An Bórd Pleanála on the railway order application for metro north commenced yesterday and the board has indicated its anticipated decision on this application to be before 4 September this year. In these circumstances, it is most unlikely that enabling works will commence in the current year. However, both the RPA and my Department will keep the matter under review.

It is my intention to brief the Government after the decision on the railway order is made and prior to the main enabling works commencing. My Department will also continue to be in regular contact with the Department of Finance on metro north and other Transport 21 projects. I understand from the RPA that tenders for the metro north PPP were submitted by the four bidding consortia in February this year and these are currently being evaluated by the RPA. It is anticipated that the tender process will be completed during 2010. In accordance with the requirements of the Government decision on Transport 21, metro north will be submitted to Government for a final decision at that stage.

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