Cowen ploughs €1.7bn into motorway projects

National road building at €1.7 billion continues to account for the largest share of the Department of Transport's €3.8 billion gross allocation for 2007.

While the department is set to spend €1 billion on public transport, it is still early days for many Transport 21 projects, and most financial allocations are in line with multi-annual commitments.

However, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen did say that the Cork to Midleton commuter rail line and phase one of the Western Rail Corridor, which will link Ennis to Athenry, would be "readied for service in 2009".

Construction is also due to begin on the Dublin to Dunboyne railway - phase one of the reopening of the Dublin-Navan railway line. This was initially scheduled for 2009, but is now expected in 2010.

Irish Rail will continue to introduce its fleet of 183 railcars into service across the intercity network, with the last carriages going into service in 2009.

An additional 40 per cent capacity on the Tallaght line will come on stream by mid-summer, while Mr Cowen said that work will continue on the line extensions to the Docklands and Cherrywood in South Dublin. Summing up the investment in public transport, the Minister said that the strategy was to advance key projects in Dublin and the regions.

Significantly, Mr Cowen added an extra €45 million to the Budget for non-national, regional and local roads, making up a shortfall flagged in the pre-Budget estimates released last month. The move brings to €600 million the amount that local authorities may spend on such roads in 2008. Funding for regional airports is also up, from €28 million to €41 million. The National Roads Programme at €1.7 billion is in line with expectations and will progress the inter-urban motorway programme, work on the Atlantic corridor and the upgrade of Dublin's M50.

The Minister did not accede to a pre-Budget request by the National Roads Authority that it be given an extra €500 million a year.

Mr Cowen said that 2008 would see 29km of dual carriageway open between Kilbeggan and Athlone; 37km of dual carriageway would open between Cashel and Mitchelstown, and 19km of dual carriageway would open as a Carlow town bypass.

During the coming year, phase one of the M50 will be completed, resulting in four lanes between the N4 and Ballymount, and a "transformed and fully functional" Red Cow junction.

The Minister said the strategy was to build high-class roads, "which are absolutely integral to economic activity and long-term economic and social prosperity."

However, Fine Gael said the department had failed to spend some €58 million from the 2007 budget, an amount that transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd said would finance 198 new buses.

He said the Minister had failed to spell out clearly what was the current policy in relation to buying buses for CIÉ or inviting private-sector investment.

The Budget was welcomed, however, by Engineers Ireland, which praised Mr Cowen for maintaining funding multi-annual projects.

Overall budget is €3,837 million, an increase of €410 million on the pre-Budget estimate.

Key allocations are:

an increase of €262 million on public transport to support additional capacity on commuter rail and bus, as well as progressing infrastructural projects

€600 million which is being allocated to non-national roads

€20 million for road safety programmes and campaigns in 2008, including a once-off contribution of €11 million to reduce waiting lists for driver tests and bring the waiting time to a target of 10 weeks by the end of 2008

an additional €74 million for the national roads programme for 2008 to further progress the delivery of the main inter-urban routes and the Atlantic road corridor.