Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Transport if, in the context of the national development plan review, the access to Donegal by road, rail and air will be comprehensively reviewed on the criteria of its geographical location next to the fourth largest city on the island which is Derry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4490/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The north-west region is served by two airports, Donegal Regional Airport and City of Derry Airport. The Government has a long-standing policy of assisting City of Derry Airport on the basis that the natural catchment area of the airport includes east Donegal. My Department will continue to support both airports, and air access to the region in general, in keeping with commitments made in the programme for Government.

The Government recently approved specifications for the next round of contracts under the PSO air services programme. Twice daily return air services on routes linking Dublin with both Donegal and Derry will continue to be subsidised by my Department under the new arrangements.

Since 2001, Donegal Airport has received almost €1 million in capital grants under the BMW regional operational programme and a further allocation will be announced shortly. Derry City Council submitted proposals for the development of City of Derry Airport last year to my Department, and to the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland which, of course, have the lead responsibility in this area. A report on all aspects of the proposed development, including the extent of works required to make the airport fully operational and compliant with safety requirements is being considered by my Department in the light of consultation with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland.

While the matter of the provision of bus services in Donegal is for Bus Éireann and other private licensed operators to consider on the basis of their assessment of demand, significant improvements can be reported. Stranorlar Bus Éireann building was upgraded in 2003, and the upgrade of Letterkenny bus station is now completed. There is increased service frequency on the Letterkenny-Dublin route and on the Donegal-Enniskillen-Dublin route and this month a new service via Dublin Airport was introduced in cooperation with Translink, with ten departures daily serving the airport on the Letterkenny-Derry-Dublin route. Irish Rail and Translink offer the facility to travel by rail from Dublin to Derry, changing at Belfast. I understand that Irish Rail and Translink, the operator of the Northern Ireland railway network, are working to improve journey times by rail.

The planning, design and implementation of national roads improvement projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA, and the relevant local authorities concerned, in this case Donegal County Council. Major investment in roads in County Donegal includes the completion of the N56 Mountcharles bypass, N15 Donegal bypass, N15 Clar Barnesmore, N13 Bridgend-Northern Ireland Border and the construction of the N15 Bundoran-Ballyshannon bypass, and there are additional major projects in progress and in planning, including the new cross-Border link between the A5 and N15 at Strabane-Lifford. This proposed project will involve the design of a major new bridge over the River Finn and up to 10 km of road linking the strategic N14, N15 and A5 routes. The preliminary design will be completed by mid to late 2005.