Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which the targets set in Transport 21 are expected to be met as predicted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3588/08]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will provide a full report to Dáil Éireann on the final delivery date and budget for each of the Transport 21 projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3398/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 167 together.

At the launch of Transport 21, the Government identified the projects in the national roads, public transport and regional airports sectors that it wished to see prioritised for development in the ten-year period from 2006 to 2015 and provided indicative completion dates for the major projects contained.

Significant progress has been made on Transport 21 in its first two years and a number of projects have been completed, are under construction or are well advanced in planning terms.

Most national road projects are now being completed ahead of schedule and almost all of the projects opened in 2007 were 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.

In public transport, the new Docklands station opened in March 2007, well ahead of its 2009 indicative target date, new rail carriages were introduced on the Dublin-Cork route facilitating the introduction of hourly services on the route, while the first of the 183 new Intercity railcars have been delivered on schedule and in accordance with the Transport 21 indicative timetable and have entered service on the Dublin-Sligo route.

While the majority of projects will be delivered ahead of or in accordance with the indicative timetable published at the launch of Transport 21, the huge scale of the 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.

The necessary revisions have arisen for a range of reasons including changes to the scope of projects arising from public consultation, planning issues, procurement issues and archaeological difficulties and are set out below for individual projects.

Portlaoise Train depot will be completed in the first half of this year, rather than end 2007; the short delay 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.

Linking of the existing Luas lines: Dublin City Council is in the process of completing 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 planning work, the RPA plans to submit a Railway Order application for Luas Line BX to An Bord Pleanála this year.

The Tallaght to Citywest Luas project involves a longer alignment than originally planned and the timescale for completion has, therefore, been revised to 2010.

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. The project has been identified as a PPP and the RPA, when announcing the emerging preferred route alignment, indicated that the possibility of phasing implementation would be discussed with prospective PPP bidders.

There were delays in the start of the Limerick Southern Ring Road due to tendering issues, which meant that the contract award process did not progress as quickly as was originally hoped. Completion is now scheduled for 2010. Although Construction on both the M3 and the N25 Waterford City Bypass were delayed because of archaeological issues at Tara and Woodstown respectively, the completion date for both projects remains 2010.

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 slight delay in the 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 arising from public consultations.

The overall budget for Transport 21 is €34 billion and I am satisfied that the projects identified will be delivered within this budget. Both my predecessor and I have consistently taken the view that, in the interest of the taxpayer and in ensuring that Transport 21 is achieved within budget, the cost of individual projects should not be released until the public procurement processes have been completed. I propose to maintain that policy.

I have undertaken to provide relevant economic and financial information on projects at an appropriate time but without compromising the commercial sensitivity attaching to the projects.