Mr. Hugh Creegan:

There are lots of parts to that question. The short answer is not yet, but at some point in the future it will prove very difficult to run a direct service to Howth at regular frequency because of the overall needs of the northern line. The line can handle 12 to 16 train paths per hour. At some point, that will get used up and at that stage, we think the right thing to do will be to run a shuttle service from Howth Junction to Howth. Part of the DART+ railway order is to revamp the Howth Junction station to make that easier. It is important to say, because I know there is a lot of concern out there, that in the early days we do not need to make that change but we are setting up the project because in the future it will be required and it will be done at that stage.

The positive for people in Howth would be that currently they have a 20-minute DART service and when the change is made there can be much higher frequency from Howth to Howth Junction, every ten minutes or even more frequently. If we get the station reconfigured well to make the interchange easier, overall journeys, if you count walking and waiting time, should get shorter. They can leave when they want to and get to where they want to. As of now, we do not need to make those changes but we are future-proofing, as you should do when planning something.