Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 468: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will provide a breakdown of the projects on which capital investment and funding will be placed in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15776/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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In 2010 a total of nine national road projects will be completed. The M9 Waterford to Knocktopher opened on 22 March. The remaining eight are:

Construction will continue on the N18 Gort to Crusheen and on the N21 Castleisland Bypass, with both projects expected to be completed in 2011.

Two major public transport projects have already been completed this year – the Kildare Route Project and Phase 1 of the Western Rail Corridor. The Luas extension to Cherrywood and Phase 1 of the Navan Rail line will both open later this year, and construction is continuing on the Luas extension to Citywest, which is due for completion in 2011.

The oral hearing before An Bord Pleanála for Metro North concluded on March 10 and it is expected that a decision on the railway order application will be made later this year. Planning, design and consultation on the DART Underground Programme will continue in 2010 and Irish Rail hopes to make an application for a railway order later in the year. It is also hoped to make applications for railway orders in respect of Luas line BX/D (Cross City Centre/Liffey Junction) and Metro West in 2010. Work is continuing on the Dublin city centre resignalling project, the Quality Bus Network in the Greater Dublin Area, traffic management in regional cities, the Railway Safety Programme, the integrated ticketing project and the automatic vehicle location system being rolled out on Dublin Bus services.

2010 will see increased investment in Smarter Travel measures to improve the sustainability of our travel and transport systems. Among the projects to be progressed are the Portobello to Fairview and Adamstown off-road cycle routes in Dublin; the Rochestown to Passage West route and the Carrigaline cycle network in Cork; and the Fisheries Field route in Galway. Some 30 other projects around the country will be supported under the Smarter Travel Demonstration Projects Fund. I will announce, in June, the areas that will be supported under the Smarter Travel Areas Competition.

Other projects ongoing include essential capital works at the country's regional airports, remedial projects at regional harbours and Irish Coastguard building projects.