West=On=Track -
News
Regional Assembly
Criticises Iarnrod Eireann
BMW Press Release
Tuesday April 6th 2004
Members of the Border, Midland and Western Regional
Assembly criticised Iarnrod Eireann for their low level of
investment in the BMW region under the National Development
Plan. Meeting in the Assembly offices in Ballaghaderreen on
Friday last, the Assembly called on Minister for Transport,
Seamus Brennan to ensure that the expenditure targets for
public transport in the BMW Region, are met in full.
The huge shortfall in investment on public transport in
the BMW region was highlighted in the ESRI Mid-Term
Evaluation of the NDP report. This report highlighted the
fact that investment in public transport had been 43% of
forecast in the BMW region and 149% of forecast in the
Southern and Eastern region
Chairman of the BMW Regional Assembly, Councillor Matt
Loughnane referred to an unsatisfactory meeting that had
taken place with senior management of Iarnrod Eireann in
January of this year and also the unsatisfactory response to
a written request from the Regional Assembly for a clear
statement from Iarnrod Eireann as to how the Company
intended to meet its expenditure targets as set out under
the National Development Plan.
Iarnrod Eireann's response referred to investments in the
Dublin region as being of benefit to the BMW region, but
failed to deal with the critical issue of the massive
underspend of euro223m in public transport in the BMW region
at the mid-term stage of the programme, nor had Iarnrod
Eireann set out details of their proposed investment
programme for the remainder of the National Development
Plan.
Members contrasted this situation with the approach
adopted by the National Roads Authority where significant
new projects are coming on stream in the BMW region and it
is likely that expenditure targets will be met over the
lifetime of the NDP. They welcomed the announcement of a
five year multi-annual framework by Minister Seamus Brennan
which would help to re-balance roads investment in favour of
the BMW Region.
|
