Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 670: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will implement the plan to extend the DART to Drogheda as announced in 2009 under the Transport 21 initiative. [15223/11]

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

As the Deputy is aware, the Government recently announced a comprehensive review of capital spending which is now under way. The review will examine capital proposals across all sectors of the economy to establish a set of priority projects and programmes that will support economic recovery and provide new employment opportunities. The results will form the basis of a new National Development Plan. The preparation of the new framework requires my Department to review all existing projects and programmes. The review will also take account of new funding realities. A major priority will be to ensure funding to protect and maintain investment made to date and to maintain high safety standards. This will of necessity restrict the funding for new projects, with only those offering the highest return having any prospect of being prioritised. As part of the review process, all agencies funded by my Department have been asked to make submissions supporting their programmes and setting priorities in a scenario of reduced allocations. Submissions have recently been received from the National Transport Authority, the Railway Procurement Agency and Iarnród Éireann in relation to public transport projects. These submissions are being examined by my officials and they will inform my Department's conclusions on the capital review. I will not speculate on the outcome of the review. However, I have already said that, given the funding constraints and the uncertainty about the available of private funding for major Irish infrastructure projects, it is likely that only one of the major Dublin area projects can proceed in the period to 2016. I will be seeking to try and secure that outcome if possible.