Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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616. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the transport options being put to public consultation for north Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49398/14]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Earlier this year, following a public procurement process, the National Transport Authority (NTA) appointed Aecom, a firm specialising in transport engineering, to identify optimum medium term/long term public transport solutions in the Fingal/North Dublin area. In all 25 proposals were reviewed and assessed, including consideration of technical feasibility, cost and environmental issues.

On 8 December together with the NTA, I announced the result of the first stage of this process which was a proposed short-list of six project options for further design development and more detailed evaluation. Members of the public are now invited to submit their views and opinions on the process and shortlist before January 19 2015 at .

The short listed projects will be subjected to more detailed analysis under a number of headings including technical development, both engineering design and operational parameters; more detailed costing and environmental assessment; transport modelling to assess likely usage; and cost benefit analysis. The outcome of this analysis will produce a preferred option which will be submitted for my consideration and decision.

I will not be prejudging the outcome of the ongoing independent process by commenting on any of the shortlisted projects.