Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

We are now in the third year of Transport 21 and I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the progress made and to assure Senators that the Government remains committed to delivering the programme in full. Transport 21 is a huge undertaking. It is the first time a Government in this country has agreed a ten-year financial framework for any sector of our economy and the first time a capital investment commitment of €34 billion has been made, an unprecedented level of investment.

This level of funding is required. For many years, up to the mid-1990s, our economy could not generate the level of funding necessary to improve and upgrade our transport infrastructure and, therefore, we were left with a poor road network and a public transport system that could not meet the demands placed on it. It is only in recent years that we have had the internal financial resources to address these investment needs. The excellent results of that investment are becoming increasingly clear, especially on our much improved national roads, our renewed railway system and in new areas such as the Luas. We will build on these improvements over the coming years and create a world class transport system to meet the needs of our economy and society.

We are addressing two major challenges: dealing with the effects of past under-investment and meeting the growth in demand arising from our unprecedented economic success and population growth. Transport 21 identifies and prioritises the projects that will be completed in the ten-year period to 2015. There will be more to do after that period and in the programme for Government we have committed to preparing a follow-on investment programme to Transport 21.

The progress being made under Transport 21 is impressive. Many major projects, particularly on the national road network, are being completed on time and within budget. Construction is under way on many important projects, especially on the major inter-urban motorways and the railway, while others are at the statutory approval stage, design and planning stage or public consultation.

Regarding national roads, the main emphasis is on completing the five major inter-urban roads from Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and the Border and on the development of the Atlantic road corridor from Letterkenny through Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork to Waterford. The evidence of the progress made on the inter-urban roads is there for all to see. The motorway to the Border is now complete and open to traffic and anybody who has travelled the other routes in recent times will testify to the enormous progress being made. At this stage, more than 85% of the major inter-urban road network is either open to traffic or under construction. All the remaining projects are through the statutory approvals process and we are on target to complete the five major inter-urban roads in 2010. At the end of 2010 that network will comprise more than 730 km of motorway and dual carriageway.

We sometimes forget the progress made over the past decade. As recently as 1990, we had only 26 km of motorway and a decade ago we still had fewer than 100 km. Perhaps the most pleasing recent development is that most of the road schemes are now coming in ahead of schedule and under budget. In early 2007 an acceleration of the funding provision of some of the major elements of the Atlantic corridor was announced. Construction will now commence on the N18 Ennis to Galway route in early 2008, three years ahead of when originally planned.

The upgrade of the M50 is also included in the Transport 21 programme. The upgrade is being done in three phases, the first two of which will open this year and the remaining phase in 2010. This year will also see the introduction of barrier free tolling on the M50, and road users, both commercial and otherwise, will see significant benefits when this is complete.

Significant progress has also been made on public transport since the launch of Transport 21. We have also seen tangible evidence of progress locally. Already, a new rail station has opened in the Dublin docklands. This was ahead of schedule and under budget and is delivering an additional 12 services each way per day on the busy Maynooth suburban line. Some 67 new rail carriages were introduced on the Dublin-Cork rail route at the start of 2007 and hourly services are now provided. The response of users has been very encouraging; total passenger journeys in 2007 were 14% higher than in 2006.

New railcars have already entered service on the Dublin-Sligo, Dublin-Westport and Dublin-Limerick lines and more are being introduced gradually on other inter-city routes. A total of 183 railcars will go into service, transforming the quality of service on the inter-city network. These improved services are being delivered on a renewed railway infrastructure. Over the past decade, since the approval of the first railway safety programme in 1999, we have renewed track, signalling and structures across the network in the biggest investment programme since the railways were built at the end of the 19th century.

Construction work has begun on a number of projects. These include Cherrywood and docklands Luas extensions and the four-tracking of the Kildare line. These will have a critical role to play in improving public transport in the capital city and in opening up lands for residential and commercial development. Work has also commenced on two flagship regional development projects, namely, the reopening of the Midleton rail line and the western rail corridor.

The coming years will see a further escalation in the number of rail projects. A railway order application was recently approved by An Bord Pleanála for the first phase of the Navan line on which construction work will begin later this year. Planning in respect of the rail interconnector from Heuston Station to the Northern line is well advanced with public consultation taking place on station and alignment options.

Important steps have also been taken on metro north, the metro line from the city centre to Swords via Dublin Airport. The RPA has selected the preferred route and is working hard on the preparatory document for a railway order application and is in pre-application discussions with An Bord Pleanála. It has commenced the PPP procurement process and prequalified companies were recently invited to submit tenders in respect of the project.

Last year, the RPA announced the emerging preferred route corridor for metro west. It is currently undertaking further public consultation with key stakeholders and the public in order to define the exact alignment of the metro west route, its stops, park and ride facilities and depot.

Since the beginning of 2006 a total of €60 million has been allocated to Dublin Bus towards the purchase of 100 additional and 200 replacement buses. This has enabled Dublin Bus to increase the frequency of its services to areas such as Tallaght, Cherrywood and Tyrrellstown, north of Blanchardstown. New developing areas and existing and new quality bus corridors have also benefited from increased services. The replacement buses have ensured the quality of the bus fleet is maintained at a high level and therefore attractive to the travelling public.

During the same period a total of €73 million was allocated to Bus Éireann for the purchase of 235 new buses. More than 110 of these have been delivered with the balance due for delivery by the end of this year. In addition to replacing life expired fleet these new buses have enabled Bus Éireann to launch new services in Cork and between Dublin and Navan.

I am satisfied with the progress made to date under Transport 21. The ten-year programme is on target to deliver the projects identified. The Minister and I will continue to ensure that every effort is made to complete projects in the shortest possible timeframe. The country needs this infrastructure and needs it quickly.

Transport 21 is not just about building new roads or public transport infrastructure. It is about improving the quality of life of our citizens and reducing commuter and travel times. When completed, Transport 21 will transform travel for everyone in Ireland. The country will become a better place in which to work, live, visit and invest.