asked the Minister for Communications the package of retrenchment measures to be implemented on the passenger rail side of CIE; and the estimated effects on employment.
Written Answers. - CIE Replacement Stock.
69.
Funds will be provided to enable the present programme of replacement of CIE's mainline carriages to be completed and to finance essential capital works required for safety reasons. A provision of £43 million has been allocated for mainline rail capital requirements for the period of the plan.
The cash limits imposed on CIE require the board to reduce their expenditure by 2½ per cent per annum in real terms in the period 1985-89. In the case of expenditure on mainline rail the reduction is 3.7 per cent per annum during the period. These expenditure limits replace the 2½ per cent per annum reduction on total CIE expenditure introduced in 1983 for the period 1984-88. It will be a matter for CIE to take the steps necessary to achieve the targets set by the Government and the board will keep the consequences on employment to the minimum.