Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 483: To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which it is expected to achieve the targets set in Transport 21 within time and cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23817/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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At the launch of Transport 21, the Government identified the programmes and projects in the national roads, public transport and regional airports sectors that it wishes to see prioritised for implementation in the ten-year period from 2006 to 2015 within an overall capital provision of €34 billion. That objective has not changed. 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, while significant advances have been made on the development of public transport projects. 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 to completion dates 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.