Dáil Éireann

Dáil Éireann

Vol. 890 Wednesday, No. 1 23 September 2015 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 23/09/2015A00100Ceisteanna - Questions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 1 23/09/2015A00200Priority Questions� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 1 23/09/2015A00250Rail Network � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 1 23/09/2015B00350Rail Network � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 3 23/09/2015C00150Rail Network � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5 23/09/2015C00950Dublin City Centre Transport Study� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 7 23/09/2015D00700Rail Network � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 9 23/09/2015E00500Other Questions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 11 23/09/2015E00600Road Haulage Industry � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 11 23/09/2015F00750Road Projects� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 13 23/09/2015F01600Shannon Airport Facilities � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 15 23/09/2015G01500Harbour Authorities � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 17 23/09/2015H01050Tourism Project Funding � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 20 23/09/2015J00300Marriage Bill 2015: Order for Second Stage � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 22 23/09/2015J00700Marriage Bill 2015: Second Stage � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 22 23/09/2015Q00300Topical Issue Matters � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 37 23/09/2015Q00500Leaders’ Questions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 38 23/09/2015T00200Order of Business � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 46 23/09/2015V10200Criminal Justice (Knife Possession) Bill 2015: First Stage� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 56 23/09/2015W00800Memorandum of Understanding on EU Battlegroups: Referral to Select Committee � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 58 23/09/2015W01100Draft Orders to Improve Tax Compliance and Related Matters: Referral to Select Committee� � � � � � � � � � � � 58 23/09/2015W01400Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (Section 4(7)) (Membership of Council) Regulations 2015: Re- ferral to Joint Committee � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 59 23/09/2015X00300Topical Issue Debate � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 59 23/09/2015X00400Mortgage Lending � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 59 23/09/2015Y00350National Monuments � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 62 23/09/2015AA00150Mental Health Services � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 65 23/09/2015BB00300Refugee Numbers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 67 23/09/2015CC00600Marriage Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 71 23/09/2015QQ00300Marriage Bill 2015: Referral to Select Committee � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 98 23/09/2015QQ00500Public Transport Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 98 23/09/2015FFF00300Road Transport Bill 2015: Referral to Select Committee � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 127 23/09/2015FFF00600Hospital Waiting Lists: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 128 DÁIL ÉIREANN Dé Céadaoin, 23 Meán Fómhair 2015 Wednesday, 23 September 2015 Chuaigh an Leas-Cheann Comhairle i gceannas ar 9�30 a�m� Paidir. Prayer. 23/09/2015A00100Ceisteanna - Questions 23/09/2015A00200Priority Questions 23/09/2015A00250Rail Network 23/09/2015A003001� Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on plans to abandon progress of the DART underground project for Dublin; the reason he favours the Luas connection to Dublin Airport over alternative rail projects; the details of the business case for this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter� [32181/15] 23/09/2015A00350Deputy Timmy Dooley: Yesterday it appeared the Minister sought to get the bad news out ahead of the Government’s capital plan which, we understand, is due to be announced next week� In doing so, he indicated the Government’s proposes to postpone or abandon progress on the DART underground project for Dublin� In recent weeks, he also indicated he favoured the Luas connection to Dublin Airport over the alternative heavy rail project, better known as metro north� Will he outline his reasoning behind this? 23/09/2015A00400Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Paschal Donohoe): This question appears to have been based on media commentary and conjecture in recent weeks which, I hope is apparent from yesterday, was not fully the case� As announced yesterday, the Govern- ment has agreed that the DART underground project should be redesigned to provide a lower cost technical solution� It is certainly not being cancelled� Indeed, the overall DART expansion project, of which the underground tunnel is a critical element, remains central to the Govern- ment’s strategy to meet the growing transport needs of the greater Dublin area� As originally designed, however, the underground tunnel element would have accounted for approximately €3 billion of what would have been an overall cost of €4 billion for the whole DART expansion programme� At the Government’s request, the National Transport Authority, NTA, carried out an updated analysis of the business case and found the tunnel element of the 1 Dáil Éireann programme could be redesigned to deliver a lower cost technical solution while maintaining the full connectivity of the original programme� The Government has now agreed that this redesign should proceed and this work will be funded under the new capital plan which will be announced shortly� The Government has also decided other elements of the DART expan- sion programme will be progressed under the new capital programme, including specifically the DART extension to Balbriggan and other works to increase frequency of existing services� It is imperative we invest in our transport system to ensure we can meet growing demand and ensure congestion does not hinder economic growth� It is also important that in our invest- ment strategy, we plan appropriately so that areas which will see major development and popu- lation growth in the future, such as north Dublin, will be properly served by public transport� I am confident the forthcoming capital plan will deliver on these objectives. 23/09/2015A00600Deputy Timmy Dooley: There is still some confusion, particularly regarding the DART underground project� Yesterday, the Minister indicated he remained unconvinced of the busi- ness case for the project� That is notwithstanding the fact that previous transport appraisals by the NTA indicated the project would provide exceptionally high value for money based on the traditional cost-benefit analysis. It gave a benefit-to-cost ratio, BCR, of 2.4, with an even higher value for money when the wider economic benefits of the project are taken into account. It gave an appraisal of 4 in that BCR� In anybody’s analysis this is a strong business case� What criteria did the Minister use to provide his own personal analysis which led him to a conclusion that he was unconvinced that it represented value for money? Did he use a different metric or was he just not happy with the NTA’s metric? This morning he indicated that his intention, to some extent, is to look at a redesigned project� That is effectively pushing the project down the road� It is a delay and a loss to the development of Dublin city�

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