Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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89. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current capital budget allocation for the Department for rail transport in 2021, 2022, and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10517/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As the Deputy has requested, the following table shows the exchequer capital outturn for rail infrastructure in 2021 and 2022, and the exchequer capital allocation for rail infrastructure in 2023.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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93. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will outline the capital expenditure budget to be allocated to assist with infrastructure improvements at Rosslare Europort to ensure future growth in the output of the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10771/23]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As a consequence of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, the infrastructure developed by my Office, acting on an agency basis, for the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine and the Department of Health/HSE, was required to conduct checks and controls.  Compliance with the Union Customs Code (UCC) remains a key driver for the need for permanent state infrastructure within Rosslare Europort and my Office is playing a key role to ensure that this infrastructure is put in place. Border control posts must be located within the customs controlled area at the point of entry.

To date, my Office has been working in close collaboration with relevant Government Departments, State Agencies and Iarnród Eireann/Irish Rail on the project milestones that have been achieved to date. This includes securing planning permission from Wexford County Council in November 2021, the development of detailed tender documentation and its subsequent publication on eTenders to the market. This project is currently out to tender with a tender deadline of 10 March 2023.

The tender process is at a critical juncture and in view of the very imminent receipt of tenders for this important capital project the total project budget is commercially sensitive at this point in time.The tender is due in a little over a week and I know the Deputy will understand that this is the point in time in the whole procedure where we do not want to jeopardise the impartiality of the process.

However, by way of background, my Office has had a critical role in the development of State infrastructure facilities as a consequence of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Additional physical infrastructure has been put in place at Dublin Port, Rosslare Europort and Dublin Airport to ensure Ireland can effectively manage the requirements for checks and controls on trade with Great Britain. This has been one of the most critical and visible aspects of the Government’s preparedness for Brexit.

In 2018 the work on development of the required infrastructure began, with a Secretary General-level Brexit Infrastructure Group, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, mandated by Government to oversee the preparations. The Group includes the Secretaries General of the Departments of Agriculture, Food & the Marine; Health; Transport; Foreign Affairs; and the Chairmen of the Revenue Commissioners and the OPW.  This work has also been supported by a Brexit Infrastructure Working Group chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

The infrastructure designed by my Office will deliver a UCC and Official Food Controls compliant solution. As well as this, there will also be enhanced road layout and markings with improved traffic management, an automatic number plate recognition system and access to and from a central control compound situated within the confines of the Port with barrier controlled exit. Further infrastructure will provide parking space for significant volumes of vehicles, office facilities and inspection and storage rooms that meet the EU legislative requirements and finally high quality broadband lines.

In order to be ready for the March 2019 deadline temporary infrastructure was put in place in Kilraine, 1.3 kilometres outside the Port, as a temporary solution pending the development of permanent infrastructure. This approach ensured that customs and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks and controls could be undertaken on imports and exports from Great Britain from the end of March 2019.

Following this, further work was undertaken by my Office to deliver additional capacity in preparation for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit in October 2019 and then in January 2020. 

In addition, a significant amount of work was undertaken to add further capacity to ensure that infrastructure was in place at Rosslare, Dublin Port and Dublin Airport at the end of the Brexit Transition Period (December 2020). This capacity has been operational since 1 January 2021.

During 2019 and 2020, enhancements were made to the temporary facilities in Kilrane.  All of these timelines have come and gone. My Office ensured that Ireland was ready to deal with all of the additional inspections, checks and regulatory requirements that were coming into existence in a period of unknown deadlines.

At the same time, my Office advanced the detailed design of a permanent solution within Rosslare Europort in conjunction with the Government Department and State Agencies.

The project consists of the construction of Rosslare Europort Terminal 7 and Enabling Works and a new Border Control Post. This project is to develop the necessary permanent infrastructure at Rosslare Europort to comply with customs, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and official food controls as a consequence of Brexit. The works will comprise of the demolition of existing buildings and construction of new permanent buildings totalling circa 9,361 m2. These buildings include facilities such as An Garda Síochána Immigration facility, a Revenue Enforcement and Stopping Area, live animal inspection facilities for equine and domestic pets, checks on animal products, regulated plant products and high-risk foods of non-animal origin entering the Union. There is also a new main access road, a roundabout, internal road and freight entrance plaza along with significant hard-standing and truck-set/car-storage facilities to be constructed.

Significant enabling works on behalf of Iarnród Eireann/Irish Rail have been factored into the overall plan, as parts of the proposed site for the permanent infrastructure are in use by the Port. The enabling works will provide for the relocation of activities within the Port and facilitate the release of the permanent site for the new facilities.It is important that the ongoing operational activities of the Port can continue uninterrupted while construction work is underway and that the impact on the Ports’ future business development is minimised.

This project will be primarily funded under the EU’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) which aims to provide financial support to the most effected Member States, regions and sectors to deal with the adverse consequence of Brexit. To comply with the requirements of the BAR Regulation the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform is the Designated Body responsible for the management and oversight of BAR funding.

On receipt of tenders in the next two weeks, my Office will immediately commence the evaluation process and recommendation to the relevant Government Departments and State Agencies.  In view of the scale of this project, a Memo for Government will be brought seeking approval prior to the award of the contract.  I am confident that my Office will continue to deliver this critical project for these Departments, for the development of Rosslare Europort specifically,  for the wider economic development of the region and for Ireland to continue to trade successfully with all its trading partners.