Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 65: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the progression of Transport 21. [8618/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Transport 21 was the capital investment framework launched in November 2005 under the National Development Plan (NDP) through which the transport system in Ireland was to be developed, over the period 2006 to 2015. Due to changing economic circumstances, the original allocation provided for T21 which proposed Exchequer funding of €26 billion has been subject to substantial reductions since 2005 resulting in an estimated revised Exchequer investment to end 2011 of around €12 billion. The original programme cannot therefore be completed as envisaged.

The government has now decided to draw up a new NDP to reflect Ireland's changed economic circumstances covering the period 2012-2017. In this context, a Capital Expenditure Review, which will set out the priorities for transport infrastructure for those years has commenced and will be overseen by my colleague Brendan Howlin T.D. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Key criteria for selecting projects will be their economic impact and job creation potential. Having regard to the new financial realities a priority will be to provide funds to protect investment made to date and to maintain high safety standards.