A confidential report to Government warns that the State's roads infrastructure needs to be radically overhauled to prevent serious growth constraint in the next decade.
The report, presented to the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructural Development, says that "top priority" must be given to the implementation of key transport projects to help deliver the National Development Plan.
It was compiled by a cross-departmental team of civil servants and sets out a timetable for national road development, and for transport projects for Dublin, that must be followed in the next six years.
It proposes that the timetable for development and the efficient delivery of the programme be an integral part of the new partnership talks. The timetable proposes that by 2006, the roads from Dublin to the Border, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford should be developed to motorway or high-quality dual carriageway standard with a minimum speed of 60 m.p.h.
On Dublin, the cross-departmental team says the following timetable of development must be achieved; the completion of the M50 and the Port Access Tunnel by 2006; the completion of the LUAS line to Tallaght and Connolly Station by the end of 2002; the completion of the Sandyford to St Stephen's Green Luas Line by 2003 and the enhancement of existing rail and bus service lines as proposed in the Dublin Transportation Authority Blueprint.
The report also outlines other projects that need "urgent evaluation" and decision. They are: an eastern motorway, a timetable for the implementation of the St Stephen's Green to Dublin Airport Luas line and new urban rail lines, including a line from Dublin Airport to Navan.
The report states: "The adoption of the programme and its timely delivery is, in the teams view, essential if we are to ensure continuing economic growth and to help achieve balanced regional development."
To ensure smooth development, the report calls for the use of public/private partnerships in infra structural projects and for the capacity of the construction industry to be increased.
The team of civil servants submitted the report to the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructural Development in October.
The committee is chaired by the Taoiseach and includes the Tanaiste, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Enterprise, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government and the Attorney General.
The report acknowledges that the timetable outlined represents an "enormous challenge".