Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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654. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount that has been spent on the DART underground and DART expansion projects to date, including design and planning stages. [5881/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Exchequer spending to end 2014 on the DART Underground Tunnel project amounted to €44.4 million, most of which related to design, planning and railway order costs. As the Deputy is aware, the Government decided in September 2015 that the original proposal for the tunnel should be redesigned and work is underway on that at present. ​The work and costs incurred to date in relation to the project will have value when the redesigned project proceeds.

Funding has been provided under the Government's current Capital Plan for elements of the DART Expansion Programme including for the extension of the DART to Balbriggan and for work on the redesign of the tunnel. Subject to availability of funding and approval of the detailed business case for the project, it is envisaged that the extension of the DART to Balbriggan would commence in 2020. Other elements of the Programme will be considered in the context of the review of the Capital Plan.