Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Transport the money spent to date on Transport 21 projects in County Clare; the specific projects funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19135/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Transport 21 programme substantial funding has been provided to County Clare for the various projects which are being developed there.

Major investment has been made in the national roads programme in the county including the N18 Ennis Bypass and the N85 Western Relief Road.

However under Section 19 of the Roads Act 1993 allocation of funding in relation to the construction or maintenance of national roads is a matter for the NRA.

Up to April 2008 a total of €270 million has been spent on public transport projects specifically in County Clare or on projects which have an impact in the county.

Ennis railway station car park was upgraded from 30 car spaces to 170 car spaces. The work was completed in August 2007. Accessibility improvement works were also carried out at Ennis bus station.

Phase 1 of the Western Rail Corridor, which runs from Ennis to Athenry, was commenced in 2007.

The Railway Safety Programme, which aims to improve all aspects of safety across the Iarnród Éireann network and to keep risk levels as low as is reasonably practicable, and the development of a comprehensive Signalling Control Strategy and Client Requirement Specification for signalling control of all present and future signalling and level crossings schemes throughout the entire Iarnród Éireann network, are both ongoing projects.

Bus Éireann is currently in the process of renewing its fleet through the purchase of 235 new buses for deployment throughout the country including in the Limerick/Shannon region.