Written answers

Wednesday, 19 October 2005

Department of Transport

National Development Plan

9:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 259: To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which the various projects identified by his Department in the context of the national development plan are on time and within cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29826/05]

Photo of Martin CullenMartin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Over €2.4 billion has been spent from Exchequer and EU funds to date on public transport infrastructure. The Exchequer provision for public transport investment this year is €426 million, clearly demonstrating the Government's strong ongoing commitment to the national development plan programme and to maintaining a high level of investment in public transport infrastructural projects. All the projects in the public transport sector that have been completed to date, and which are being funded under the national development plan, have been on time and within budget.

The Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, the body with responsibility for the Luas project, has assured me that the overall spend on the two Luas lines, the green line from Sandyford to St. Stephen's Green and the red line from Tallaght to Connolly Station, will be within the €775 million agreed budget, as notified to the Government in December 2002.

Since 2000, a total of 55 projects have been approved for funding under the regional airports measure of the NDP. Based on a total estimated cost of €18.46 million, grant aid of €15.534 million has been approved for projects to facilitate improvement works and upgrades in facilities to maintain continued safe, secure and viable operations at the regional airports. To date, €11.7 million has been paid out in grant assistance under the measure. The projects are generally on target and it is expected that all projects will be delivered within the timeframe of the NDP and the approved grant allocation for each airport will not be exceeded.

The national development plan provides for a substantial investment in the upgrade of the national road network over the period 2000-2006. Since the start of the plan, 53 projects have been completed. Work is in progress on 21 projects, another 18 projects are at tender stage and a further eight projects are through the statutory approval process. While the completion of the upgrade programme will extend beyond 2006 and will cost more than estimated in 1999, in recent years most projects have been completed within the cost budgeted at tender stage. Allied to the delivery of these schemes in accordance with their projected timescales, the national roads programme is now on a firm footing to deliver efficiently the vital infrastructure needed to sustain our economic growth and competitiveness.

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