Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - County Dublin Transport Plan. Thursday, 19 October 2000

Dáil Eireann Debate Vol. 524 No. 4 Page of 137

  2.  Mr. Stagg      asked the Minister for Public Enterprise      the funding and implementation arrangements for the £14 billion transport plan for County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22710/00]

Mrs. O'Rourke:    The Dublin Transportation Office's strategy for transport in the greater Dublin area for 2000 to 2016, entitled A Platform for Change, is estimated to cost a total of £14.15 billion. This figure includes £4.4 billion in respect of projects identified in the national development plan for the period 2000 to 2006. The strategy identifies a substantial proportion of the proposed infrastructural investment as potentially suitable for delivery as public private partnership projects. These include the additional Luas lines, Metro, the suburban rail interconnector and the eastern bypass. I also expect that a substantial Exchequer contribution will be required over the implementation period to 2016. The financing arrangements will be addressed as the planning and implementation process proceeds, as part of the annual Estimates and budget cycle, in the [856] mid-term review of the national development plan and in the successors to the current national plan.

The strategy provides an overall planning framework for the development of the transport system in the greater Dublin area. It is not a detailed blueprint for each of the individual projects and programmes. Each project will be taken through a detailed planning process. The DTO has recommended that project teams be established by the implementing agencies for each of the major projects. In the case of the Metro, I can confirm that the CIE light rail project team is already carrying out preliminary technical work related to the project.

The phasing of the strategy is designed to address short-term transportation needs and to put in place an integrated transportation system which will meet the medium to longer-term requirements of the greater Dublin area. The strategy outlines four phases for implementation, from now to 2003, 2004 to 2006, the end of the national development plan, 2007 to 2010 and 2011 to 2016.

Mr. Stagg:    Does the Minister agree that since she came to office three and a half years ago, we have seen a succession of plans but very little action? Does she further agree that she spent the first two and a half years as Minister dealing with Luas? Does she agree that this plan, as presented, effectively abolishes Luas, except for one line from Tallaght to Connolly Street, and that the rest of the Luas project has been abandoned? Given that this is really a wish list for the future, will the Minister tell us what action she expects to be taken to implement any part of this plan in the next year? Will we see any action during the lifetime of the Government to implement any part of the plan so that it will be operative before the Minister's full five years as Minister with responsibility for transport is over? Will we see any of this in place?

Mrs. O'Rourke:    I thank the Deputy for his vote of confidence that we will be in office for five years.

Mr. Stagg:    The longer the Minister is in office, the less she will do.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    It was the Deputy who said five years. The first two years were tremendously occupied with safety and the Deputy knows that. Following the independent report, we secured £500 million from Cabinet for rail safety which comprises £350 million for the first three years and the remainder for the next phase. That has commenced and the funding for the third year is included in the Estimates for next year which will be published soon. That will mean £300 million will have been spent on rail safety and, if I did nothing else, that is a good thing to have done.

We decided to concentrate in the immediate term last year on bus provision. Some 150 [857] additional new buses were provided and 223 this year, 100 of which are replacement buses and the other 123 of which are new additional ones. Two more bus lanes have been provided and two more will be provided by the end of the year. New DART carriages have arrived and extra rail carriages are on order.

Mrs. Owen:    They are sitting in stations.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    They are not. Does the Deputy want me to sit down?

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:    We are on Priority Questions. Perhaps Deputy Owen would let Deputy Stagg ask another supplementary question. We are running out of time.

Mrs. Owen:    I apologise, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, but I hate hearing half the truth.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    I hate to tell the Deputy that there are three Luas lines and that money has been provided for the three of them. There is the Tallaght to the city centre line, which is line A, the Sandyford to St. Stephen's Green line, which is line B, and there is line C, which is Connolly Station to the city centre. The three lines have been approved by the judge in his hearings and I have approved the three of them. They have been submitted and have obtained funding.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:    A brief supplementary, Deputy Stagg.

Mr. Stagg:    I do not know why it must be brief. I am entitled to two minutes.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:    No, there is one minute remaining for this question. If the Deputy wishes the Minister to have time to reply, he should be brief.

Mr. Stagg:    Given the plan from the Minister's Department and advisers which shows the Luas line going from Tallaght to Connolly Station and nowhere else, why does she continually tell the House that the Luas line is also going elsewhere? Is she not up-to-date with the myriad plans she has given us? I know she bought some buses and spent some money on rail safety.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    Some £500 million.

Mr. Stagg:    What will be done in her term in office to deal with the crisis in Dublin city arising from the use of a myriad of private cars and no alternative being available?

Mrs. O'Rourke:    There is an alternative where there was not one heretofore.

Mr. Stagg:    What is it?

Mrs. Owen:    Where is it?

[858]Mrs. O'Rourke:    I am taking the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's advice and looking at him and not at the Deputies. That is what he told me to do.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:    Very good.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    I prefer to look at people's faces.

Mr. Stagg:    The Leas-Cheann Comhairle is putting manners on the Minister at last. He is to be congratulated.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    Funding has been obtained for three Luas lines. The Deputy can persist in telling stories. I do not mind a bit.

Mr. Stagg:    I am going on the Minister's plan.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    I am telling the Deputy now that there are three.

Mrs. Owen:    Carriages are rusting in stations.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:    I ask the Minister to conclude as we want to move on.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    There are three Luas lines, lines A, B and C, for all of which funding has been secured.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:    Ceist a trí in ainm an Teachta Jim Higgins.

Mrs. Owen:    There is only half a DART service.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    Has Deputy Owen not tabled any questions herself?

Mrs. Owen:    We cannot get around the city.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:    We will not reach other questions unless we finish Priority Questions.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    Did Deputy Owen see the question about her on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”?

Mrs. Owen:    I did.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    I am waiting for one on Mary O'Rourke.

Mrs. Owen:    I bet the Minister wishes she had one to get more publicity.

Mrs. O'Rourke:    No, I have too much of it. I could not get over it. Gay Byrne said he would like to meet the 3%—

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:    Will the Minister deal with Question No. 3?

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Last Updated: 11/09/2010 01:27:51

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