John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on Government policy towards County Mayo and the western region; and when he will sanction the delivery of vital infrastructural projects such as key road, rail and air; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34291/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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A number of major infrastructural projects are in train in Mayo and the West. Transport 21, the Government's 10-year financial framework for investment in transport infrastructure, provides for a number of important projects in County Mayo. The N5 connects Dublin to Westport and Castlebar. Major sections of this route have been upgraded. The Charlestown Bypass was opened in November of this year and work continues on improvements on the Castlebar-Westport section of the route. The Atlantic Road Corridor runs from Letterkenny to Waterford via Sligo, Tuam, Ennis, Limerick, Mallow and Cork. Construction work will commence on parts of this route in 2008, three years ahead of schedule, thanks to acceleration in the funding provision for this project. Grants for improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads are allocated annually to all local authorities.

Under Transport 21, the Tuam to Claremorris section of the Western Rail Corridor is to reopen in 2014, linking Mayo to Galway, Limerick and Cork by rail. Iarnród Éireann will take delivery of 183 high-specification Intercity railcars in 2007 and 2008. These will serve the national Intercity network, including Dublin to Mayo. As a result frequency on this line will increase from three services each way to five services each way daily. Bus services to the west of Ireland will benefit from investment, under Transport 21 with the purchase of 235 new buses by Bus Éireann. In addition, my Department provides funding to the local authorities in the regional cities for bus priority measures. In this regard, €4.89 million was made available in 2007 to Galway City and County Councils for bus priority measures in the city and its environs. My Department is in discussion with the local authorities in Galway about arrangements for an examination of the feasibility of introducing light rail transit or bus rapid transit in the context of the Galway Transportation and Planning Study.

Ireland West Airport at Knock has been allocated €27 million of funding, which will be used mainly for enhancing safety and security and investing in infrastructural improvements. In addition the Government approved grant aid of €27 million for the airport under the Regional Airports Capital Investment Grant Scheme, including almost €10 million for safety and security projects and €17 million for developmental projects. As indicated in the Ports Policy Statement, it is proposed that the regional harbours still operating under the Harbours Act 1946, will be transferred to local authority or port company control. My Department is working with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in this regard and has assisted in the process of preparing the relevant harbours for transfer with funding from a budget currently in the region of €4 million per annum. This funding has been allocated towards essential works to protect the fabric of the harbours concerned. In County Mayo, it is expected that the River Moy and Westport Harbours will transfer to local authority control in the near future.