108. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport the projects and programmes with his Department which have been allocated funding under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Programme; the funds drawn down to date in each instance; the profiled drawdown in each of the forthcoming years of the programme; the steps he is taking to ensure that projects and programmes are completed within the specified timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37797/24]

Deputy,

Please see below table setting out the funding and expenditure profiles for the Cork Commuter Rail project, which is funded under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Programme.

**2021 and 2022 figures to be confirmed by Irish Rail

The Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme is the only project under this Department's remit funded under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Programme. The Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme is noted as a key project in the National Development Plan 2021-2030 and the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy 2040. The programme comprises a number of separate but interrelated projects.

Phase 1 of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme, ‘Enable future electrification of Cork Commuter Rail’, was included in Ireland’s National Recovery & Resilience Plan as submitted to the European Commission in 2021. All works associated with Phase 1 will be completed by Quarter 3 2026 as required by the European Commission.

This will see profiled EU funds invested in Cork’s rail infrastructure, which will facilitate the longer-term electrification of the network through construction of a new ‘through’ platform at Kent Station to create an integrated suburban network, re-signalling of the network, and double-tracking from Glounthaune to Midleton.