Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Transport the delivery time slippage in relation to the key elements of Transport 21; the planned timetable for the key elements; and the projected completion dates for each based on current progress. [27921/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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At the launch of Transport 21, the Government identified the projects and programmes in the national roads, public transport and regional airports sectors that it wishes to see prioritised for development in the ten-year period from 2006 to 2015 and estimated the cost of implementing these at €34 billion, in current cost terms.

The huge scale of the Transport 21 programme is such that adjustments to the timescale for individual projects is inevitable. The value of the ten-year financial framework is that it gives us the flexibility to deal with this in an effective way. However, the aim continues to be to complete the Transport 21 programme by the end of 2015.

Most national road projects are now being completed on or ahead of schedule. All of the seven projects opened to date this year have been on or ahead of time. These included the Newry-Dundalk motorway which was three months ahead of schedule, the Tyrellstown to Kilbeggan project which was six months ahead of schedule and Phase 1 of the Arklow-Gorey Bypass which opened four months early. The five major inter-urban motorways are on schedule for completion by end 2010. The new Docklands station opened in March this year, well ahead of its 2009 indicative target date. Delivery of the 183 new Intercity railcars began earlier this year, on schedule, and the first of them will enter service in the coming weeks.

Notwithstanding this excellent progress it has been necessary to revise the indicative completion dates for some projects because of circumstances arising before construction, details of which are listed below. These necessary revisions have arisen for a range of reasons including changes to the scope of the projects arising from public consultation, planning issues, procurement issues and archaeological difficulties.

The revisions are set out below for individual projects:

Portlaoise Train depot will be completed in the first quarter of 2008, rather than at the end of 2007; this change arose because the planning approval process took longer than anticipated.

Cork Commuter Rail Service to Midleton: The construction timetable is yet to be finalised with the contractors, but Iarnród Éireann is optimistic that passenger services will start in early 2009, rather than in 2008.

Linking of the existing Luas lines: Dublin Bus expressed serious concerns about the impact the preferred Luas alignment would have on its services. Dublin City Council is currently undertaking traffic modelling work as part of its examination of revised traffic management arrangements in the city centre, which will be required for the delivery of the Luas city centre link (line BX) and the further extension to Liffey Junction (line D). Following completion of further detailed design work and subject to a satisfactory outcome to the city centre traffic management modelling work, the RPA plans to submit a Railway Order application for Luas Line BX to An Bord Pleanála next year.

The Tallaght to Citywest Luas timescale has been revised from 2008 to 2010 to accommodate a longer alignment than originally planned.

The revised completion date for the Connolly to Docklands Luas is 2009, rather than late 2008 as originally scheduled mainly because the RPA devoted a substantial period to addressing and resolving the concerns of businesses in the IFSC about the impact of construction on their operations.

Metro West: The projected completion date for the entire project remains 2014.

There were tendering issues on Limerick Southern Ring Road project which meant that the contract award process did not progress as quickly as was originally hoped. Completion is now scheduled for 2010. Construction starts on both the M3 and the N25 Waterford City Bypass were later than planned because of archaeological issues at Tara and Woodstown respectively.

Dublin City Centre rail resignalling project was expanded to include the Maynooth line, resulting in a longer construction period and a 2011 completion date.

Due to a slightly later than planned submission of the Railway Order application, Phase 1 of the Navan Line will now be completed in 2010.

Metro North: The scheduled completion date is now 2013 to take account of scope changes made which arise from public consultation.

In short it can be said an indicative timetable is just that — an indication of the timeline in which a project will be delivered some projects have been and will continue to be delivered ahead of the times indicated and some will be later than indicated, but the overall target is to ensure all are completed within the Transport 21 timeframe.