Written answers
Tuesday, 6 December 2005
Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
EU Funding
9:00 pm
Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 254: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the proposals made for Irish transport projects under the EU's Marco Polo programme; the projects that received funding; the amount in each case; the progress to date in 2005 in completing these projects; the amount of freight diverted from road as a result of these projects; the overall percentage split for freight on road, rail and water following the completion of these projects; the way in which this compares with previous percentage splits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37936/05]
Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Maritime Development Office provides strategic support and advice in regard to the Marco Polo programme. On 11 October 2003, the first call for Marco Polo proposals was published. A total of four Irish projects were submitted and deemed eligible under that call. These were applications from Eucon, Dublin Port Company, Shannon Foynes Port Company and Euroferries. Eucon's project was the only project selected and recommended for funding.
The second call for Marco Polo proposals was published on 15 October 2004. A total of four projects with Irish partners were submitted and deemed eligible for funding. The Irish partners were Shannon Foynes Port Company, Rosslare Europort, Euroferries, and Port of Cork Company. None of the proposals was selected for funding. The third call under the Marco Polo programme was published on 24 November 2005. The closing date for this call is 30 January 2006.
The Eucon proposal is the only Irish transport project, to date, to successfully finalise contract negotiations under the EU Marco Polo programme. The total amount of subsidy awarded by the Commission for the project was â¬1 million. The main objective of the project is to convert at least 10% of the ro-ro landbridge traffic moving on and off the island of Ireland to the lo-lo mode. By routing such traffic through the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, in particular, road haulage into Belgium and Germany will be reduced, by obviating the need to route traffic through the relatively remote Port of Calais. The estimated modal shift, generated over the life of the Eucon project is 1,180,015,020 tonne kilometres, tkm. In the context of the Marco Polo programme, this modal shift equates to environmental benefits in the region of â¬18,118,675.
Given that the modal shift produced by the Eucon project affects only United Kingdom and European roads, a change in modal split in Ireland will not occur as a direct result of the project. The existing modal split is expected to remain the same. The substantial environmental benefits accruing from the Eucon project will benefit Ireland's European partners.
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