Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale he and the Railway Procurement Agency used to extend the Luas to Broombridge, Dublin in preference to the Dublin Airport railway link; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36691/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Funding for public transport under the new Medium Term Framework to 2016 is being prioritised to ensure maintenance of existing investment and to advance a small number of important projects which can add value to the existing network and, for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), progress to a limited degree the proposed long term integration agenda.

In regard to the latter, commencing construction of the Luas Broombridge (BXD) has been prioritised given that it will deliver benefits by creating a Luas network through connecting the existing lines, serving areas of the North city such as Grangegorman, Phibsborough and Cabra and integrating with rail services on the Maynooth and Dunboyne lines as well as Quality Bus Corridor cross city/city centre bus services. The Business Case is strong and it is projected to operate without any operating subsidy. Luas BXD will result in up to 10 million extra trips on the Luas network, exploiting the true value in the investment made to date in Luas infrastructure. The decision of An Bord Pleanála on the Railway Order application for this project is expected shortly.

As regards the proposed DART link to the Airport, on my appointment as Minister I requested Irish Rail to prepare a preliminary business plan for this project which was reviewed by the National Transport Authority (NTA).

While these two projects are not strictly comparable as they seek to serve different transport needs, the NTA have advised that DART to the Airport does not deliver the same returns with regard to passenger numbers and reduction of car trips and there is less certainty over the expected economic benefits and its projected cost. In addition, the NTA consider that the proposal does not adequately address the overall public transport needs in the strategic Airport /Swords and Ballymun corridors. Furthermore, the DART to the Airport line may lead to a reduction in direct services to Howth, Sutton and Bayside and would undermine the ability to grow railway services north of Clongriffin in the medium term.

Accordingly, on the basis of the information provided by the NTA, the strategic and economic case for the Luas BXD project is more favourable than that of the DART Airport link proposal in terms of addressing the public transport needs of the region.