Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which the objectives he set out in the context of Transport 21 have been achieved to date; the degree to which it is intended to meet the proposals contained therein in full within the projected timescale; the extent to which additional measures are likely to be incorporated in the plan; if any of the original proposals are likely to be dropped; if the necessary funding required has been identified and sourced; if it is intended to review the progress on the plan over the next ten years on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12926/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Transport his preferred options for spending on major road development projects in each of the next five years; if the proposals are likely to be hit by the current economic situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13084/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which the various projects identified by his Department in the context of the national development plan are on time and within cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13090/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Transport the degree to which investment in roads, as anticipated by him in his commencement of Transport 21, is likely to remain the target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13098/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which his Department intends to provide capital funding of the National Roads Authority and the local authorities over each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13090/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans for investment in national and commuter rail services over the next five years in the context of Transport 21 or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13100/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 130, 133 and 141 to 143, inclusive, together.

Very substantial progress has been made on Transport 21 and the National Development Plan: the five major inter-urban motorways (totalling over 740 kilometres) will be completed this year, as will the M50 upgrade; the Irish Rail inter-city fleet has been renewed with the delivery and entry into service of 244 carriages and railcars; the Midleton rail line opened for service in 2009 and the first phase of the Western Rail Corridor will open at the end of this month and the first phase of the Navan line will open later in the year; the Kildare railway line has been upgraded and a number of new stations have opened on the Dublin suburban network; the Luas extension to Docklands opened last December, the Cherrywood extension will open at the end of this year and Citywest early next year. All the trams on the Tallaght line have been extended to 40 metres and new trams have been purchased; and over 500 new and replacement buses have been purchased.

In the light of the changed economic circumstances, it has been necessary to review investment priorities across all Government Departments. The results of this review are reflected in the Renewed Programme for Government and my Department's Transport 21 priorities for the coming years are as follows. For national roads, the priorities are the completion by end 2010 of the five major inter-urban motorways and the M50 upgrade and the progression of the Atlantic Road Corridor. For public transport, the priority is to deliver significantly increased long term capacity to the network through: the construction of Metro North; the construction of DART Underground and the implementation of the associated electrification, signalling and rolling stock investments; and investment in buses, bus priority and real time passenger information, subject to the implementation of the recent cost efficiency reviews and the availability of subvention. It is also a priority that we continue planning other projects to enable their earliest possible delivery when the economic situation improves.

Funding for the period ahead will be decided by the Government having regard to the capital review carried out by the Department of Finance.

It is unlikely that all of the projects originally identified in Transport 21 will be completed by 2015. However, no projects have been cancelled and Transport 21 continues to provide the strategic framework for capital spending on transport infrastructure into the future.

Projects will be released by construction having regard to the priorities in the Renewed Programme for Government and the availability of funding.