Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 448: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will make new announcements in regard to extensions to public transport not contained in his Transport 21 policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29494/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Transport 21 is the capital investment framework under the National Development Plan through which the transport system in Ireland will be developed, over the period 2006 to 2015. This sets out a suite of projects to be completed and I have no plans to include additional projects in the Transport 21 programme.

I would also advise the Deputy that the start and completion dates of Transport 21 projects in planning will in each case be determined by the outcome of public consultation, the statutory planning approval process, the public procurement process and the availability of financial resources determined by the funding allocation available during the current difficult economic climate.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to commence preparation of a successor to Transport 21. It is in the context of such a successor programme that consideration will be given to future transport investments.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 449: To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which the Transport 21 capital costs may have reduced in the current economic climate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29495/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The transport implementing agencies have indicated to the Department that there has been a general downward trend in tender prices and in the cost of land purchases in recent times. However, these changes are only of benefit for new projects going to tender or for which notices to treat in respect of the compulsory acquisition of land have not been issued.

A very high proportion of the expenditure in 2009 is in respect of existing contractual and legal commitments, particularly on the completion of the major inter-urban routes and on the construction of a number of large rail and light rail projects. As a result there has not been a sufficient number of tenders or land purchases in the transport sector to date in 2009 to draw firm conclusions as to the scale of the reductions.