Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1307. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rail projects planned for completion before the end of 2021 under the national development plan, NDP; the progress to date with the design, planning and construction of each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16052/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The recently published National Development Plan (NDP) sets out how the State's overall capital investment of €116 billion for the lifetime of the NDP 2018-2027 is being allocated on a thematic basis across all ten of the National Strategic Objectives (NSOs) that are identified in the National Planning Framework (NPF).  The NDP sets out Strategic Investment Priorities and indicates some of the specific investments which have been identified by the relevant Departments, including my own, as central to the delivery of the NPF vision.  The NDP is a 10-year investment plan and it recognises that there are different planning and delivery horizons applying to different types of capital expenditure depending, for example, on whether they involve the construction or development of major new infrastructure, the purchase of new capital assets, protecting the quality and value of existing infrastructure, or providing a programme of capital grants.

The NDP will enable extensive investment across Ireland's transport sector, and the rail-based investments that it will support will contribute to the overall development of an integrated and sustainable national public transport system.  Specifically in the rail area, the investment priorities to be delivered over the full lifetime of the NDP include the following:

- construction of the new MetroLink;

- delivery of priority elements of the DART Expansion Programme, including investment in new train fleet, and extended electrification;

- investment to protect the quality and value of the existing rail network and to support safety and service levels;

- delivery of additional capacity on the Luas Green Line;

- investment in strategic park and ride sites including investment in expanding existing parking facilities at rail and Luas locations;

- completing construction of the National Train Control Centre and the city centre resignalling project;

- supporting programmes of railway station improvement/development;

- passenger information programmes;

- accessibility enhancements; and

- the appraisal, planning and design of LUAS network expansions to ensure readiness when and where extensions are needed. 

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport and the National Transport Authority (NTA) - working with the other relevant State bodies - is responsible in the main for ensuring the planning and delivery of the rail based public transport infrastructure priorities.  Therefore, in light of the NTA’s role, I have forwarded the Deputy’s question to the NTA for further response.