Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has received and reviewed the recent report from Fingal County Council, An Economic Development Strategy for the Metro North Economic Corridor; if he will publish his Departmental assessment of the transportation and related socio-economic impacts of the development of Metro North; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23280/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decision in 2005 to extend Metro North to the Swords Area was strongly influenced by the case put forward by Fingal County Council that the provision of high quality rail-based public transport was essential to the future sustainable development of the area. The Government was also influenced by the contribution which the Council's development plans would make to the economic and financial case for Metro North.

Indeed, Fingal's development plans, which envisage a growth in population of nearly 120% in the next 15 to 20 years, are not possible without Metro North. Furthermore, the implementation of these development plans will strengthen the basis for the Metro project in two important ways. The first is by creating an additional passenger and revenue source for the Metro and the second is through the Council's development levy scheme which will contribute substantially to the capital cost of the extension of Metro North to Swords.

This welcome outcome is the result of close co-operation between the Railway Procurement Agency and Fingal County Council. It is an example of the type of integrated transport and land use planning that should be followed by other local authorities.

The report referred to in the Deputy's question builds on the work done by the Council in 2005 and concerns the formulation of an economic development strategy for areas which are in the vicinity of Metro North. I welcome this further important initiative by Fingal County Council in developing innovative planning and economic policies which will seek to maximise the benefits to its area presented by the Metro North project.

In relation to the second part of the Deputy's Question, the RPA will publish its assessment of the transportation and related socio-economic impacts of the development of Metro North to coincide with its application for the railway order later this year.