Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1060. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the IMMAC heavy rail programme; the details of expenditure under the programme since 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12716/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As the Deputy is aware, the IMMAC (Infrastructure Manager Multi-Annual Contract) provides the funding framework for the maintenance and renewal of our railway infrastructure and is a requirement under both EU and Irish legislation. It is a contractual agreement between the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Iarnród Éireann, in its designated role as Infrastructure Manager of the railway.

The IMMAC is funded through two principal sources -

1. a direct Exchequer contribution, which is managed by my Department, and

2. access charges which must be paid by all railway undertakings that make use of the railway infrastructure in accordance with EU and Irish law.

The European Union (Regulation of Railways) Regulations 2015 stipulate that the Commission for Rail Regulation is the independent monitoring body responsible for monitoring the performance of the Infrastructure Manager in relation to its contractual obligations.

IMMAC expenditure levels, including the annual Exchequer contribution, in each year since 2014 are provided in the table below:

While a new IMMAC is currently being finalised to provide for the next multi-annual period to 2023, I can inform the Deputy that the increases I secured in Budget 2019 mean that the Exchequer contribution will increase this year to approximately €200 million.

I can also inform the Deputy that the steady state funding requirement (as measured on an annualised basis) is now met for 2019 and that represents significant, and very welcome, progress in terms of the overall funding of the network.

As part of the finalisation of the new IMMAC 2019 to 2023, a review has been completed and a report is being finalised in relation to the last contractual period (2014 to 2018). I will publish the final report in due course. It contains a detailed overview of all expenditure, outputs and outcomes over the contractual period.