Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 438: To ask the Minister for Transport if all transport agencies and companies will be able to complete all committed projects to date without having to raise more private debt of direct Government funding; if he has received representations from these agencies regarding this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29286/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Existing contractual committed infrastructure projects under Transport 21 for the Railway Procurement Agency, CIE and the National Roads Authority can progress to completion without resource to raising additional private debt.

Under the Government's Ports Policy Statement, the State commercial port companies are expected to fund infrastructure projects without resource to Exchequer funding.

The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) operates to a commercial mandate and meets its operational expenditure and capital investment requirements from a mix of airport charges, commercial revenues and borrowings. These are day-to-day commercial matters for the DAA in which I have no statutory function. I am aware that following the announcement of its annual results for 2008, which saw a drop in Group profit of 28% from 2007, the DAA has been reviewing all aspects of its business, with a particular focus on costs, including capital development and operational expenditure.

To date I have received no representations from the agencies or companies under my remit regarding further funding of projects.