Cullen to unveil 10-year transport plan in March

TRANSPORT Minister Martin Cullen will bring his 10-year plan for investment in transport infrastructure to a Cabinet sub-committee in March, he said yesterday.

The plan will detail major road, rail and other public transport projects.

It is expected to include details of a tunnel between Dublin’s Heuston and Connolly stations, as well as additional commuter rail networks in greater Dublin. There is increasing speculation that plans for a metro may no longer be a high priority.

Mr Cullen said the plan is designed to facilitate sustainable economic growth, competitiveness and balanced regional development.

Launching the National Road Authority’s environmental guidelines, he defended the prioritisation of road building.

“The Government is not building roads to admire them - we are building them because they make it possible to protect and grow job opportunities,” he said.

Rejecting criticism that the National Development Plan (NDP) was behind schedule, he said all major road projects in 2004 were completed on time and on budget.

Meanwhile, the opposition yesterday dismissed Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s remarks that delays in the State’s planning process are stalling the development of infrastructure around the country.

Mr Ahern, speaking in Shanghai, said the Government was “trying to catch up on a backlog that was enormously deficient for several years”.

He said there were too many levels of planning approval for major projects and stressed the urgent need for a national infrastructure board for key projects.

Labour environment spokesman Eamon Gilmore criticised Mr Ahern, saying the board was the centrepiece of FF’s Árd Fheis 18 months ago but still there was no sign of legislation.

“The Taoiseach is blaming everyone but his Government for delays in the roll-out of infrastructure,” he said.