Thursday 6th May 2010 – The President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Paul Mallee, has called on Iarnrod Eireann and the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, to clear up the confusion surrounding the future of the Dart Underground/Interconnector after conflicting statements came from either side yesterday on whether or not the project will be delayed by three years.

• Interconnector is most important piece of planned rail infrastructure
• Project must be expedited to provide jobs and boost economy
• Time to consider the appropriate Authority for delivering the project

Mr Mallee said that the Interconnector is the most important piece of planned rail infrastructure in the State, and was a vital component in promoting a modal shift away from private cars and towards public transport.

On this basis, he added, it is vital that the project is expedited as soon as possible and that it may be time to review what transport authority is best placed to deliver it on schedule.

Mr Mallee commented, "Significant confusion now exists about the future of the Dart Underground following Iarnrod Eireann's statement that it would now be delayed until 2018, and the Minister for Transport's counter-claim that he knew nothing of this.

"This news, if true, comes as a major blow to the project and the general public, as the interconnector along with Metro North, would have provided a vital link in Dublin's rail system and generated excellent connectivity with other transport systems.

"The fear is that given this delay, the Interconnector project will be subject to further postponements and challenges, and the timeline for delivery gets further and further away to the extent that the entire project is cancelled.

"For a number of reasons, we should not allow this to happen. Firstly, materials and labour costs are currently relatively inexpensive, and the Interconnector project is significantly cheaper than Metro North. Secondly, if we are serious as a country about encouraging people on to public transport by dramatically improving rail services, then we should be prioritizing the Dart underground rather than subjecting it to further delay.

"Perhaps it is time to review the competent delivery authority – in this case Irish Rail – to ensure that it has all the necessary skills, experience, and capability to deliver a Public Private Partnership project on this scale. A fully functioning National Transport Authority, incorporating the RPA and the NRA could have the required knowledge-base and competence to deliver this project on time.

"For these reasons and on behalf of those who work in the logistics and transport sector for whom the Interconnector is a vital project, I am calling on Iranrod Eireann and the Department of Transport to immediately clarify the future of the project."

For more info please contact Ronan Farren, Q4 PR, 01 475 1444 / 087 934 0386

*The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), established in 1919, is a membership based organisation with over 30,000 members in more than 30 countries. CILT is the independent professional body for those engaged in logistics and all modes of transport, enhancing the professional knowledge and competence of its members through comprehensive training, continuing professional development and certified educational programmes.

www.cilt.ie