Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on works being carried out on the LUAS BXD project; the total spend on the project so far and current estimate for the cost of the completed project. [57236/12]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The National Transport Authority was established on 1st December 2009 and responsibility for the provision of infrastructure projects in the Greater Dublin Area, such as LUAS Broombridge, now comes under the remit of the Authority.

There has been extensive engagement between the Railway Procurement Agency, Dublin City Council, Dublin Bus and other stakeholders over the last number of years aimed at minimising the construction impacts of Luas Broombridge on all road users, including pedestrians, and on businesses in the city centre area. A Traffic Forum has also been established, comprising representatives of the RPA, An Garda Siochana, Dublin City Council, Dublin Bus and the NTA.  This forum will play the key role developing the transport arrangements that will be put in place during the construction of the Luas Broombridge. Minister Varadkar has established a high level project group, to be chaired by himself, to include RPA, NTA and Dublin City Council, Dublin Bus, An Garda Siochana, as well as representatives of traders and businesses and which will  enable him to liaise directly with key stakeholders particularly in relation to traffic management issues. The inaugural meeting of this group has recently taken place.

Funding has been included in my Department's capital allocation to 2016 to cover the cost of commencing the main construction works in 2015 and for pre-construction enabling works in 2013 and 2014.  Construction is expected to take 4 years. The estimated cost of the project is €368m of which approximately €16m has been spent to date.