Results 8,301-8,320 of 26,037 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Roughly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Outside of the funding, quarter four of 2022 is when it is likely to go to tender. Mr. Walsh expects that, within the year 2023, the contractor will be in place. If funding is then available, how long will it take to build the route?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Therefore, 2026 is the earliest the route would be ready.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I would like to come back to the cost of the projects. I will then move to the question of the M20, on which my views are well known. It is a project that is very important, along with the Foynes route. Where does that process stand at the moment? Mr. Walsh might answer that first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: When does Mr. Walsh expect it will go to public consultation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Will that be the preferred route?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I do not need to be careful. I am going to spell it out. I believe there should be a motorway. I believe there needs to be an upgrade of the existing rail line between Limerick Junction and Limerick city. Am I correct to say the current analysis appraisal is about the use of existing resources first? We have public land where a second rail line was taken up between Limerick Junction and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: It was three.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Therefore, the one across country is no longer being considered.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: There are three routes. One is the upgrade of the existing rail line. The second was an old rail line that had been taken up and is privately owned now, which will go from Charleville, to Macroom, to Patrickswell and then to Limerick. The other went cross-country from Charleville to Bruree and right across to Killonan. Which two are being considered? Obviously, Limerick Junction to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is quite significant if it is down to two, to be honest. I believe it is not proper use of the public purse where there is an existing rail line with only one track. We should put a second one down and see how it works, and that is the most important thing of all. The second point is that €3 billion has been put out as the overall cost of the project. I do not believe that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We have the Minister for Transport coming out and saying the project is going to cost €3 billion. I have made my own inquiries in regard to an €80 million motorway, and the cost would be significantly less than €1 billion. I need to know where this €3 billion figure is coming from.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Am I correct in saying that the bands were less than €1 billion and then were between €1 billion and €3 billion?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was that provided by the Department of Transport?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is TII's project. TII is looking at it. We need to get a definitive position regarding what the overall costs of the project will be. Will the project cost €3 billion?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Will the project cost nearer €1 billion?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I have done my own costings. A motorway would cost anywhere between €7 million and €8 million per kilometre. That is well below €3 billion. It has been put into the public domain that this project will cost €3 billion. I deal in facts. The witnesses from TII have outlined the reason concerning TII ticking the box between €1 billion and €3...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: That means an 80 km motorway will cost somewhere between €800 million and €900 million. This is a significant amount of taxpayers' money but is nowhere near €3 billion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am happy that I now know where the figure of €3 billion is coming from. It is coming from a box that TII ticked that said between €1 billion and €3 billion and a figure of €3 billion. Mr. Walsh is telling me it will not cost €3 billion and will be nearer €1 billion. Does Mr. O'Neill have details on the routes? There were three routes on the...