Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 456: To ask the Minister for Transport the consultancies which were employed by his Department in assisting with the formation of the Transport 21 plan; the work carried out by each; the amounts paid to each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32967/05]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 457: To ask the Minister for Transport the consideration which was given in the drawing up of the Transport 21 strategy to improving cross-Border road and rail links; the initiatives contained in the strategy to facilitate this; the start and completion dates for such projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32968/05]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for Transport if any of the consultancies involved in the drawing up of Transport 21 examined cross-Border road and rail linkages and the future needs of the Border and north-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32969/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 to 458, inclusive, together.

Transport 21 is based on the work carried out by my Department and the agencies under the aegis of the Department. The work within the Department was carried out by a small team of officials, guided by and reporting to the Minister and management board. The Department did not engage any consultants to specifically assist or advise it in developing Transport 21. However, it did benefit from the advice of Goodbody Economic Consultants, which were engaged before work on the investment framework commenced, to review the business cases submitted by Iarnród Éireann in support of various projects, including its greater Dublin integrated rail network proposals, most of which are included in Transport 21.

One of the key strategies adopted under Transport 21 was the development consistent with the national spatial strategy of a high quality national transport network with improved regional and local public transport networks and services. The national spatial strategy in turn took account of spatial planning in Northern Ireland.

A central theme of Transport 21 is connectivity, including connectivity with the transport network of Northern Ireland and connectivity with the Border and north-west regions. Transport 21 addresses this, in particular in relation to road connections, by providing for the upgrading of the strategic roads linking Dublin with Northern Ireland and the north west, and the upgrading of the Atlantic corridor running from Letterkenny-Lifford to Waterford via Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork. Relevant projects included in Transport 21 are the completion of the M1 to the Border, the upgrading of the N2, the N3, N14 and N15. Targeted improvements to a number of national secondary routes, which are particularly important for regional development, will also be undertaken. This work includes the improvement of the Donegal coastal route, the N56, together with the other coastal routes along the western coast.

Up to 2010, the main focus in the roads sector is on the completion of the motorways linking Dublin with the provincial cities and with Belfast. From 2010 to 2015, the focus switches to the other key national primary and secondary routes. In the period from 2006 to 2010 a number of key road projects on the strategic routes to Northern Ireland are due to be completed, including the M1, Dundalk-Border; the N2, Monaghan bypass, Castleblaney bypass, Ashbourne bypass-M50 Junction; the N3, Clonee-Kells; the N15, Bundoran-Ballyshannon bypass; and the N55, Cavan bypass link.

In relation to the rail network, substantial investment has already been made over the past decade in the Dublin-Belfast railway line. Transport 21 provides for the removal of speed restrictions on the Belfast-Dublin-Cork railway lines south of the Border to reduce journey times on these routes further.