Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 57: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport which public transport projects he favours outside of Dublin having recently outlined his position on public transport projects for Dublin. [8581/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. As part of the preparation of a new Capital Investment Framework recently approved by Government which will be overseen by my colleague Mr. Brendan Howlin, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department will review transport capital spending. This review, which will take place against a background of new funding realities, will examine the costs and benefits of all capital projects as well as their overall economic impact and job creation potential. A major consideration will be the need to prioritise funding to protect investment made to date and to maintain high safety standards.

For public transport this will mean continuing to fund a railway safety programme as well as providing a level of funding for replacement buses on PSO routes throughout the country. I will also be seeking to provide funds for accessibility projects and for smarter travel and traffic management programmes and projects in regional cities and towns across the country. This will mean that of necessity the funds available for any new public transport infrastructure projects will be very limited.