Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will try to update the Deputy on what is happening. In September 2015, the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, recommended that the tunnel element of the DART expansion programme should not proceed as currently designed but should be redesigned, as recommended, to provide a lower cost technical solution. This project will cost in the order of €4 billion. It has to be designed and delivered in a way that best ensures cost effectiveness for the taxpayer and the State. Proceeding with the redesign of the tunnel element is the appropriate course of action in light of the NTMA's recommendations.

The new programme for Government includes a commitment to invest €3.6 billion across the lifetime of the capital plan, 2016-2022, to enable a number of transport projects to proceed and to fund additional capacity to meet existing and future commuter needs. The capital plan provides for the commencement of a multi-phase DART expansion programme, as recommended under the National Transport Authority's Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2034. The DART underground project, as currently designed, will not proceed but will instead be redesigned to provide for a more cost-effective tunnel. Funding has been provided under the capital plan.

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