[Article] Budget 2010

[Colm Moore]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1209/budget2010_main.html

LIVE Now - Budget 2010

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Discounted rail vouchers to be given to senior citizen tourists to Ireland

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The capital spending like roads and rail is being reduced by €1bn to €6.4bn - but it is still relatively high by international standards. It has been curtailed for future years too.

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[Colm Moore]

http://www.transport.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=149

Minister Dempsey announces €2.787 billion budget for Transport in 2010
09 - 12 - 2009


€0.92 billion for public transport
€1.72 billion for roads of which
- €1.31 billion for national roads including €37.5million for road safety
- €411 million for upkeep and maintenance of regional and local roads
€53 million for the maritime sector, principally safety
€23.2 million for the aviation sector, mainly regional airports


The Minister for Transport today (9 December) announced the 2010 Estimates provision for his Department:

€2.1 billion for capital investment
€686 million for current expenditure.

The capital provision is down €298 million (12.4 %) on the revised Estimates allocation for 2009.

The underlying provision for current expenditure is down € 60.3 million on the revised 2009 allocation, following implementation of a range of cuts based on the McCarthy Report recommendations.

Following are the principal features of the 2010 Estimates for Transport:


Public Transport €920 million

The public transport subvention provision payable to CIE is €276 million. This is a reduction of €27 million (8.8%). We have indicated to CIE that the Government will not sanction any fare increase. The CIE companies will seek to minimise the impact by continuing their work to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

The provision for the Rural Transport Programme is being maintained at €11 million in recognition of the important role it plays in combating rural isolation, particularly for older people. In 2009 services supported by the Programme are expected to carry 1.5 million passengers. In line with the commitment in the Renewed Programme for Government, a series of studies are underway to see how we can better integrate rural transport services, including the Rural Transport Programme, Bus Eireann rural stage carriage services, health related and school transport services, and get better value for public spending in this area.

The capital provision for public transport investment in 2010 is €625 million, €3 million lower than in 2009. This will see the completion of a number of important projects as follows:

Western Rail Corridor Phase 1
Luas extension to Cherrywood
Kildare Rail Project
Navan Rail Line Phase 1

Work will continue on the Luas extension to Citywest for completion in 2011.

In keeping with the commitment in the Renewed Programme for Government, priority is being given to the delivery of Metro North and the DART Underground Programme. Planning and design work will continue on the remaining Transport 21 projects with a view to the earliest possible delivery as financial resources become available.

Funding is being maintained for a number of important public transport programmes, including railway safety, accessibility, integrated ticketing and traffic management/bus priority.


Roads €1,637million

The 2010 provision for the improvement and maintenance of roads is €1.637billion, €280.5million (14.6%) down on the revised 2009 allocation. The details are as follows:

The 2010 capital provision for national roads is €1.115 billion, €287 million (or 20 %) down on 2009. This allocation will fund the very high level of contractual commitments to complete the five major inter- urban motorways and the M50 upgrade in 2010. Major projects expected to be completed in 2010 include:

M3 Clonee – North of Kells
N7 Nenagh – Limerick
N7 Limerick Tunnel
M7 Castletown – Nenagh
M7/M8 Portlaoise – Cullahill/Castletown
N9 Waterford – Knocktopher
N9 Carlow – Knocktopher
M9 Kilcullen – Carlow
M50 Upgrade Phase 2
Motorway service areas (Tranche 1)

By the end of 2010 we will have completed some 750 km of motorway linking Dublin with the principal cities in the country, reducing journey times, increasing the reliability of journeys and improving road safety. This is a major achievement and reflects great credit on the NRA, local authorities, contractors and consultants. Over €2 billion of private funding has been raised to part fund the investment.

The future priorities for national road investment will be:
* to implement a number of new PPP projects, principally on the Atlantic Road Corridor and the N11,
* to protect the existing investment in national roads, especially national secondaries.

The 2010 provision for the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads will be €411million, down € 35 million (8%) in line with the McCarthy recommendations. This funding will be used almost exclusively to maintain the fabric of the extensive network of some 90,000 kilometres.


Smarter Travel €25 million

The provision for carbon reduction measures is being increased from €10 million to €25 million in 2010. This will enable increased funding to be provided for demonstration sustainable transport projects and for other measures to encourage sustainable travel.

The Green Schools provision is being maintained at €2 million. To date this programme has achieved a 22% reduction in car use for school travel in participating schools.


Road Safety €37.5 million

The 2010 provision for road safety is €37.5 million, compared with €37.2 million in 2009. This will help maintain the encouraging downward trend in road accident deaths. As of end November, 218 people had lost their lives in road accidents, down 42 on the same period in 2008. The number of fatalities in 2008, at 279, was itself the lowest on record.


Maritime Transport and Safety €53 million

The 2010 provision will be €53 million, compared with €49 million in 2009. The principal item of expenditure is the provision of a search and rescue helicopter service (€27.3million). Also included is expenditure on the Irish Coast Guard, maritime safety and remedial works at regional harbours.


Aviation €23.2 million

The 2010 provision is €23.2 million, compared with €26.2 million in 2009. This funding principally supports the provision of essential air services at regional airports as well as providing operational subvention and funding for essential capital works at these airports.


Administrative Expenditure €2.9 million

The administrative budget of the Department of Transport is being reduced by €2.9 million (7%) in 2010 as recommended in the McCarthy Report. Reductions totalling €2 million are also being made in the administrative budgets of a number of agencies, principally the National Roads Authority, Railway Procurement Agency and Railway Safety Commission. These figures do not include the reductions in public service pay announced by the Minister for Finance earlier today.


PPP Operational Payments

This is the only area of expenditure showing a significant increase of €43.4 million in 2010. The funding is used to make annual payments to remunerate PPP financing for road projects where the private investment is not remunerated by tolls. The expenditure involved will increase in 2010 as more road PPP projects are implemented.

ENDS

Further Information: Press Office Department of Transport (01) 6041090/91



Appendix

Public Transport Programmes in 2010


Railway Safety Programme
Rail Ticketing Systems and Equipment
Removal of Rail Speed Restrictions
Rail Road Crossings Automation
City Centre Rail Resignalling
National Rail Resignalling
Rail Rolling Stock

Quality Bus Corridor programme in GDA
Bus priority programme and park and ride in regional cities
Public transport accessibility programme
Integrated ticketing
Dublin Bus Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS)
Real Time Passenger Information

Planning and design on rail, light rail & metro projects to railway order.


National Roads PPPs 2010

In Construction
M3 Clonee – North of Kells
N7 Nenagh Limerick
N7 Limerick Tunnel
M7/M8 Portlaise-Culahill/Castletown
M50 Upgare Phase 2
M1 & M4 Motorway Service Areas (Tranche 1)

In Preparation
N17/18 Gort to Tuam At tender stage

N11 Arklow to Rathnew
(including Newlands Cross) At pre-qualification stage

M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy/ Pre-qualification commencing early 2010
N25 New Ross Bypass` (inclusion of New Ross Bypass dependent on outcome of judicial review)

Galway City Outer Bypass Dependent on outcome of judicial review


The NRA are also considering an additional bundle of PPP projects, and progress on these will be determined by availability of funding.

[ThomasJ]

And reaction
http://www.independent.ie/national-n...g-1969542.html

Public transport hit with €27m cut in funding
By Paul Melia


Thursday December 10 2009

PUBLIC transport services are facing a €27m cut in funding to CIE -- which includes Iarnrod Eireann, Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus. Transport Minister Noel Dempsey last night said permission would not be given for fare increases to make up the shortfall, and admitted this would mean further cuts in services.

Payments in the public transport subvention programme -- used to fund buses and trains -- have been cut back to €276m for 2010, a drop of almost 9pc.

Passenger numbers have fallen by between 8pc-13pc over the past year, and 270 buses have been already taken off the road.

"This time last year we told CIE to expect a cut of 10pc. It will affect services, there's no doubt about that," Mr Dempsey said.

Labour transport spokesman Tommy Broughan said it was a "bad day" for public transport.

In all, €920m will be spent on public transport in 2010.

Another €1.72bn will be spent on roads, with €411m set aside for maintenance, which is a drop of 10pc.

The State will also pay €51m for roads projects delivered under public-private partnerships in 2010. This bill will rise to €90m in 2011.

Meanwhile, regional airports face a "bleak" future, Mr Dempsey admitted, saying "for some of them, yes, I would say that's true".

A reappraisal of the public service obligation (PSO) -- where the State part-funds the cost of internal flights to the regions -- was likely to see an end to the current funding arrangements.

Mr Dempsey said the PSO was subject to review in 2011 at EU level "and I would anticipate changes".

"Part of the problem is we have a regional airport in every county apart from Leitrim," he added.

Regional airports are to receive €23.2m in 2010, following a 32pc cut last year.

- Paul Melia

Irish Independent

[ThomasJ]

Tommy Broughan also states
http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/1...125671005.html

There is a smaller €8 million cut in the Public Transport Investment Programme and Metro North and the Dublin Rail Interconnector will continue as planned. But all other Transport 21 infrastructural projects including the full Western Rail Corridor and Navan Rail Line, the Lucan and Broadstone Luas lines and Phase 2 of the Cork Commuter Rail Line are completely off the agenda in 2010.

[dowlingm]

Phase 2 of CCRL would be what - additional stations between Cork-Mallow?

[Colm Moore]

Dunkettle-Blarney. There is very little between Blarney and Mallow - only one tiny village.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6954672.ece

Feeney’s €3.4m perk for tourists
The billionaire philanthropist is to co-fund a holiday voucher scheme to boost American tourism in Ireland
Stephen O’Brien Political Correspondent

Chuck Feeney, the billionaire philanthropist, is to co-fund a holiday voucher scheme to boost American tourism to Ireland next year.

The 78-year-old Irish American has offered to match government funds to revive the flagging tourism industry, which slumped by 12% this year.

Martin Cullen, the tourism minister, says Feeney contacted the government after the Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh seeking a direct involvement in efforts to reverse the decline.

He will support a scheme to offer $100 holiday vouchers to Americans planning a trip to Ireland. Cullen says a fund of up to $5m (€3.4m) will be made available in a bid to increase visitor numbers by up to 50,000 next year.

Approximately 1m American tourists visit Ireland every year. While overall tourism numbers dropped by 12% last year, the fall-off in US visitors was 2%. The 3.5m-strong British market dropped 16%.

“This is real cash, not a discount scheme,” Cullen said. “[Visitors] can combine it with discount flights or accommodation offers.”

Failte Ireland, the tourism agency, is finalising plans to offer free rail travel vouchers to over-55s who are planning to holiday in Ireland. The internet scheme will allow thousands of older visitors to access free off-peak rail travel all over Ireland. The scheme may be extended to bus travel in 2010 or in subsequent years.