Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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315. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation from the Exchequer and from other sources under the capital plan for the metro north project; the amount that has been spent to date; the expected completion date; the estimated capital cost of finishing the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17361/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The National Transport Authority has statutory responsibility for the development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), including the new Metro North project. Funding of over €700 million has been allocated under the Government's Capital Plan2016-2021 for planning, design and construction of new Metro North. Funding in the initial years of the Capital Plan is for planning and design work with construction expected to commence in 2021 with a view to delivering the project by 2026/2027. It is estimated that the project will cost in the region of €2.4 billion (excluding VAT). The Programme for Partnership Government commits to proceeding with the new Metro North project.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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316. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation from the Exchequer and from other sources under the capital plan for the DART underground project; the amount that has been spent to date; the expected completion date; the estimated capital cost of finishing the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17362/17]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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317. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation from the Exchequer and from other sources under the capital plan for the DART expansion programme; the amount that has been spent to date; the expected completion date; the estimated capital cost of finishing the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17363/17]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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322. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation from the Exchequer and from other sources under the capital plan for the Dublin city centre re-signalling programme; the amount that has been spent to date; the expected completion date; the estimated capital cost of finishing the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17368/17]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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323. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation from the Exchequer and from other sources under the capital plan for the reopening of the Phoenix Park tunnel; the amount that has been spent to date; the expected completion date; the estimated capital cost of finishing the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17369/17]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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324. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation from the Exchequer and from other sources under the capital plan for the central traffic control centre for commuter and intercity rail; the amount that has been spent to date; the expected completion date; the estimated capital cost of finishing the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17370/17]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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325. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation both from the Exchequer and from other sources under the capital plan for safety and efficiency maintenance of the rail network; the amount that has been spent to date; the expected completion date; the estimated capital cost of finishing the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17371/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 316, 317 and 322 to 325, inclusive, together as they all relate to heavy rail projects and funding programmes.

The funding allocation for public transport under the Government's Capital Plan 2016-2021 is €3.6 billion.  Due to the constrained levels of funding available in the early years of the plan, the focus of the funding available in this period is to ensure the safety and efficiency of existing transport infrastructure, including the heavy rail network. 

Iarnród Éireann has responsibility for the maintenance and operation of the heavy rail network. In accordance with the requirements of EU law, my Department provides annual capital funding to Iarnród Éireann for the maintenance and renewal of the heavy rail network under the Infrastructure Manager Multi-Annual Contract (IMMAC). The current IMMAC covers the period 2014-2018 and funding of almost €160 million is being provided to Iarnród Éireann under the contract in 2017. 

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA).  The NTA's Transport Strategy for the GDA 2016-2035, proposes implementation of the DART Expansion Programme involving electrification of the Northern line as far as Drogheda, the Kildare Line to Hazelhatch, the Sligo line to Maynooth in the west and to the M3 Parkway and construction of the DART Underground Tunnel.The original cost of the overall DART Expansion Programme (including the tunnel element) was estimated at €4bn - €3bn of which was in respect of the tunnel as originally designed. 

However, as the Deputy will be aware, the Government decided in September 2015 that the tunnel element should be redesigned to provide a lower cost solution and that work is being progressed at present.  Exchequer spending to end 2014 on the tunnel project amounted to €44.4 million, most of which related to design, planning and railway order costs.The work and costs incurred to date in relation to the project will have value when the redesigned project proceeds.  Almost €70m has been allocated under the Capital Plan for the extension of the DART to Balbriggan and for work on the redesign of the tunnel.

The NTA's GDA strategy also proposes completion of the City Centre Re-signalling Programme (CCRP) and development of the Centralised Traffic Control Centre (CTCC) which will improve rail movements on the network.  The total cost of the CCRP Project is approximately. €51m with just over €30m spent to date and funding of €20m allocated in the Capital Plan to complete the project by 2019.  The CTCC will cost  approx €116m with approx. €3m spent to date and further funding of €96m allocated to the project under the Capital Plan. 

The Phoenix Park Tunnel Link opened in November 2016. The total capital cost of the project was €13.5 million.