Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 315: To ask the Minister for Transport if all public private partnerships planned, initiated or completed to date as part of the road building programme under the NDP were subjected to a cost benefit analysis; the details of such analyses; if such PPP projects already completed were finished within the timescale and budget envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30149/04]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The national development plan provides for significant private sector investment in the national roads development programme. In line with this policy, a number of major road upgrade projects are being implemented by the National Roads Authority, NRA, by means of public private partnerships, with the private sector being remunerated in part by user tolls.

The assessment and evaluation of all individual national road projects, including cost benefit analysis, is undertaken by the NRA as an integral part of the planning of projects in accordance with Department of Finance guidelines on the appraisal and management of capital projects and working rules for cost-benefit analysis. In addition, the development and implementation of toll based public private partnership projects also take account of Department of Finance interim guidelines on the assessment, approval and procurement of PPP projects. Furthermore, the implementation of the national roads programme overall has been evaluated as part of the evaluation process applicable to such programmes under the national development plan and community support framework.

The NRA is making good progress in the implementation of a programme of toll-based public private partnership projects as part of the national roads programme, with the M50 second Westlink bridge completed on time, construction under way on the N4 Kinnegad-Enfield, N8 Fermoy bypass and the M1 Dundalk western bypass. PPP concessions are well advanced for the N3 Clonee to south of Virginia bypass, N6 Ballinasloe bypass, N7 Limerick southern ring road, phase two, N8 Portlaoise to Cullahill to Castletown, N25 Waterford bypass and the M50 upgrade.