Cullen challenged over 'rehashed' estimate

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has defended his Budget estimate against Opposition claims that he provided money for the same work on the same projects last year.

At a press conference in Dublin yesterday, Mr Cullen said his record allocation in the 2007 Budget Estimates would cover issues such as the start of construction on the Luas extension to Cherrywood, and the expansion to four tracks of rail services to Co Kildare.

Among other items which Mr Cullen said would be funded this year were the start of work on Cork commuter rail services as well as planning for the reopening of phase one of the Navan railway line.

Asked by The Irish Times if these projects had been announced last year, Mr Cullen said that the 2006 allocation had represented money for detailed planning in many areas, while the 2007 allocation would see actual construction work get under way.

But the Fine Gael spokeswoman on transport, Olivia Mitchell, said the Minister was mistaken in his recollection. Producing the Minister's statement of Thursday, November 17th, 2005, Ms Mitchell said it clearly referred to a construction start, and not detailed planning.

The statement issued with last year's Estimates quotes Mr Cullen as follows: In terms of public transport, next year (2006) will see construction beginning on the Luas extension to Cherrywood; Kildare route four tracking; the new Docklands station; Cork commuter rail services and the Portlaoise traincare depot. The statement also said planning and design work would begin on phase one of the rail line to Navan.

Ms Mitchell said it was clear from this week's Estimates that the Department of Transport's voted budget for 2006 would be fully used up. But she said it was also clear that a number of the projects promised had not been carried out "and this begs the question where did the money go".

Projects announced in November 2005 which did go ahead included the start of work on the new Docklands rail station and the Portlaoise traincare depot. But construction did not begin on the Luas extension to Cherrywood, nor the Kildare route project as the railway order remains unsigned by the Minister. Nor did construction begin on the Cork commuter services.

Speaking yesterday, however, Mr Cullen insisted the November reference had in fact been in relation to planning, not construction. He said detailed planning for the reopening of the Navan railway line would now involve both phase one and two.

He said the Railway Procurement Agency would be publishing the route alignment of Metro West, the metro link between Tallaght, Clondalkin, Blanchardstown and Ballymun soon.