John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Transport the detailed costing for the proposed metro north project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9084/06]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Transport the cost of the metro north proposal; if a specific budget has been set aside and the way in which this has been determined if the exact route has yet to be set. [9190/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 112 together.

The capital envelope for Transport 21 includes the cost of metro north. The project will be procured as a PPP and funded through annual availability payments, over a period of approximately 26-year period.

The capital cost of metro north and the value of annual availability payments remain commercially sensitive in advance of the completion of the public procurement procedures. I do not therefore propose to comment further on this issue, to protect the commercial interests of the State and the taxpayer.

The Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, is currently preparing a detailed implementation plan for the metro north line. This includes the public consultation on route options, which was launched on 28 February 2006. The RPA has carried out a feasibility study and a preliminary environmental assessment of possible alignments for metro north. This study identified three broad corridor options for the metro. The final route and location of stops will be defined through the public consultation and statutory approval process.