Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Nov 1995

Vol. 458 No. 2

Written Answers. - Light Rail Transit System.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

167 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the basis on which the decision was taken to proceed with the light rail transit lines to Dundrum and Tallaght and to defer the Ballymun line; and if he will make available the supporting reports for this decision which were prepared for his Department, for Government or for the Dublin Transport Initiative. [16709/95]

Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Lowry)

The core light rail network recommended by the Dublin Transportation Initiative provices for lines to Tallaght, Cabinteely, via the Harcourt Street line and Ballymun at an estimated cost of approximately £300 million, in 1993 prices. The Operational Programme for Transport 1994 to 1999 provides for a total expenditure of £200 million on light rail during the period. The recently published DTI final report endorsed this expenditure of £200 million as about the limit of what could be physically implemented in the period.

In late 1993 a high level project team, comprising CIE personnel and consultants, analysed a range of possible options derived from the core light rail network which could be implemented within the £200 million allocation for light rail. These options were examined against a number of criteria including financial performance, congestion alleviation, environmental impact and ease of construction. In October 1994 the Government noted and approved the provisional finding of the project team that the links to Tallaght and Dundrum should be constructed during the current Structural Funds round, with the remaining DTI-recommended links to be constructed thereafter.

Since the Government decision, the project team has been engaged in detailed planning work for the two priority phases, including the determination of the preferred technical route alignments. This work is almost complete. I expect to formally launch a comprehensive public consultation programme on the preferred technical route alignments for the two priority phases shortly. That will provide an appropriate opportunity to outline the basis for the decision on implementation priorities.