Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 49 together.

Substantial progress has been made in respect of Transport 21: the five major inter-urban motorways and the M50 upgrade will be completed this year; the Irish Rail fleet has been renewed; the Cork-Midleton line and the first phase of the western rail corridor have opened and the first phase of the Navan line will open later this year; the Kildare railway line has been upgraded and a number of new Dublin suburban stations have opened; the Luas docklands extension opened last December and the Cherrywood and City West projects are well advanced; and more than 500 buses have been purchased. No major Transport 21 projects will commence in 2010 because of the substantial number currently under construction. However, increased smarter travel investment will allow a number of new projects to begin.

As a result of the changed economic circumstances, transport investment priorities have been reviewed. Future national road priorities are: progression of the Atlantic road corridor; and improvement of other key strategic routes. The public transport priority is increased long-term capacity, particularly through: the construction of metro north; and the construction of DART underground and the implementation of the associated electrification, signalling and rolling stock investments. It is also a priority to continue planning other projects for earliest possible delivery when the economic situation improves. The investment in smarter travel initiatives will be increased.

Future funding will be decided by the Government, which will have regard to the capital review carried out by the Department of Finance. In addition, strategic priorities will be set by the Government. The National Roads Authority and National Transport Authority will be guided by these priorities when deciding on detailed project allocations.

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