Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Transport the studies planned in regard to a possible link between metro north and west and the Dart line at Howth Junction, Kilbarrack or Baldoyle; and the way in which such studies are to be carried out. [25293/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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While Transport 21 involves a large commitment of financial resources, those resources are also finite. It has therefore been necessary to prioritise the investments to be made over the ten year period.

The Dublin Transportation Office's A Platform for Change continues to provide a strategic framework for the development of the Greater Dublin area's transport system. In that context further feasibility studies and planning work will also be undertaken over the period of Transport 21 on other projects not included in Transport 21, but contained in A Platform for Change. These projects include a proposed Luas line from Whitehall to Howth Junction. However, funding to bring such projects to construction is not included in the ten-year envelope.

Following the launch of Transport 21 in November 2006 I wrote to the Railway Procurement Agency, directing it to proceed over the course of the programme, with feasibility studies on light rail projects which are part of the Dublin Transportation Office A Platform for Change. It is a matter for the RPA to decide on the method of carrying out and the timing of this and other studies, having regard to the priority of proceeding with the implementation of the projects identified in Transport 21.