Mr. Lorcan O'Connor:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to be here today. My colleagues here have already been introduced, so I will turn straight to the remit of TII. This is primarily in relation to national roads, as set out in the Roads Act 1993, and is "to secure the provision of a safe and efficient network of national roads" having regard to the needs of all users. The national road network makes up approximately 5,400 km of motorways, national primary routes and national secondary routes. While this accounts for only 5% of all public roads, it does account for 45% of all vehicle kilometres. In 2015, the Roads Act was amended to include the function to secure the provision of, or to provide, such metro and light railway infrastructure as may be determined by the Minister for Transport, or in the case of the greater Dublin area, by the National Transport Authority, NTA. In relation to roads, it tends to be the local authorities that are the sponsoring agencies and TII the approving authority. In relation to metro and light railway projects, TII is the sponsoring agency and the NTA is the approving authority.

Recent railway orders for MetroLink and the Luas to Finglas and the publication in September of the revised national development plan, NDP, as well as the imminent publication of a multiyear funding programme under the transport sectoral plan, mean it is an exciting time for TII. It is also hoped the accelerating infrastructure report, when published, will serve to introduce solutions to address many of the challenges that have delayed the delivery of critical infrastructure up to this point. All these factors combined mean TII is focused on a decade of delivery to address the obvious transport infrastructure deficits that we have. The NDP review published in September of this year sets out the high-level intent of the Government to support the delivery of critical transport infrastructure and to protect the State’s previous investment in respect of the existing transport network. For the period 2026 to 2030, the plan envisages over €22 billion for the transport sector, together with an additional provision of €2 billion from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund for MetroLink.

To take each category briefly in turn, starting with national roads, in 2025, €323 million was provided for planning, design and construction of new road projects. Most of this funding will cover the Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge road, the Cork to Ringaskiddy road and the Adare bypass. A total of €676 million will be spent on national roads asset management, minor safety improvements, public-private partnerships, PPPs, the delivery of the zero-emissions vehicle programme and operations and general maintenance, that is, everything beyond new road projects. The total funding available to TII for this category of activity comes from a mix of Exchequer grants, revenue from TII's toll operations and the M50 eFlow and Dublin Port Tunnel.

TII recognises that the NDP funding for the previous plan prioritised programmes other than national roads. This has caused a significant backlog of pavement renewals to build up and the condition of the carriageways for many national roads is deteriorating. Transport Infrastructure Ireland is engaging with the Department of Transport with a view to tackling this backlog and securing the long-term performance of the national road network. Under our mandate, we are also supporting the roll-out of electric vehicle charging. There is some detail on this aspect in the opening statement supplied to the committee. In the third phase of the zero emission vehicles Ireland, ZEVI, programme, we will largely have a comprehensive network around the country that should finally tackle range anxiety.

Turning to light rail, and new projects in the light rail programme, TII is advancing major light rail projects across Dublin and Cork in collaboration with the NTA. The NTA provides funding to TII for the purposes of delivering light railways. In Dublin, expansion of the Luas network is progressing, including to Finglas, Lucan, and Poolbeg. In the case of Finglas, we received planning consent only at the end of last month, with preparation for approval gate 2 submission to NTA under way, which, if approved and subject to confirmation of funding, will allow commencement of the tender process for the main construction contract. Once the tendering process is complete, it is subject to approval gate 3. The potential is there for tram passenger services to begin four years from the time the construction contract commences. The route selection for the Lucan Luas is ongoing, with an emerging preferred route expected to be published in the first half of 2026. Subject to funding and approvals, we could have a railway order submitted by the end of 2028. A feasibility study being carried out by TII for the Luas Poolbeg is under review now by the National Transport Authority. In Cork, TII is refining the proposed light rail route following public consultation, with a revised route due in 2026. Subject to funding and approvals, a railway order could be submitted in 2028.

In relation to the network management for Luas, TII is responsible for the operation, maintenance and asset management of the existing network in Dublin, which has expanded significantly since it first opened in 2004. The Luas is now operating over 43 km, with 67 stops and three maintenance depots. The light rail network is busy, and patronage growth has rebounded strongly since the Covid-19 pandemic and TII is expecting passenger journeys to exceed 54 million this year. Luas has catalysed compact, high-density housing near tram stops, thereby supporting sustainable urban growth. Areas like Cherrywood, Sandyford, Citywest and the Docklands have seen significant residential expansion adjacent to the Luas network and we estimate today that over 400,000 people live within 1 km of the Luas network. The current annual operations and maintenance cost to provide the services is in the region of €100 million, with revenue from fares and advertising close to €60 million. The budget for asset management, renewals and network enhancement projects is expected to increase significantly from current levels as the asset base ages to approximately €50 million per annum.

Last, I turn to MetroLink. The railway order for MetroLink was approved by An Comisiún Pleanála at the beginning of October. This represents a major milestone for the programme and for Ireland. MetroLink is now formally approved and the pathway to delivery is clear. As in the case of the Luas to Finglas, we are currently in the eight-week period during which a judicial review may be sought, so I will not spend too much time on the specifics of the order itself. However, I do want to take this opportunity to give the committee an update on progress, cost and schedule.

The most recent cost estimate for MetroLink, taken from the preliminary business case, is €9.5 billion, which does not include VAT. It is important to note that this figure is three years old and does not reflect significant construction industry inflation in recent years. A number of new requirements and commitments will also be incorporated through the railway order process, all of which will influence the updated cost profile. The MetroLink team is in the process of re-examining the overall cost forecast model. It is using industry experts, like Oxford Global Projects, to verify the work. Once this has been completed and verified, it will be presented to the Government.

In terms of a schedule, we are still working towards opening in the mid-2030s. As with all major infrastructure projects, both cost and schedule remain estimates until we reach contract award and a signed agreement with the construction partner. At that point, will we have definitive figures.

It is worth restating how significant MetroLink will be for the country and the capital. It will complement the Luas, the DART, the BusConnects network and our intercity rail networks, creating a fully integrated transport system that delivers real connectivity for Dublin and beyond. When complete, it will be capable of transporting up to 20,000 people per hour, per direction, bringing passengers from Dublin Airport to the city centre in just 20 minutes. This is more than a transport project; it is a nation-building programme, supporting economic growth, sustainable travel, and Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon future. Most importantly, it is about getting working people home to their families quicker and safer each day.

I thank the committee for the opportunity of updating it. I look forward to taking any questions.