Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I indicated in my answer to Deputy Dooley's question, I am very conscious of the pressures on the M50 but I do not see the provision of major new road infrastructure as a solution at this time, nor is it feasible to do this in the context of our new capital plan. The upgrade of the M50 was completed as recently as 2010 at a cost of €1 billion and the extra capacity is under pressure already. In the short term to medium term, the objective has to be to optimise the operation of the M50 as currently designed and enhance other options, such as public transport. 

In respect of public transport, alternatives include the reopening of the Phoenix Park tunnel for some services on the Kildare commuter rail line from next summer. The new Luas cross city line, which will be in operation in late 2017, providing the capacity for an additional 10 million journeys on the Luas network each year, will also be of significant help in this regard. The new capital plan also envisages significant ongoing investment in the replacement and enlargement of the PSO bus fleet. Next year alone, we are providing an additional 100 buses.

The National Transport Authority's draft transport strategy envisages the development of a core orbital bus network to ensure that more trips within the area can be undertaken by public transport in a convenient and efficient manner. These services would be operated at a matching frequency to the core radial services to ensure that they offer an attractive alternative to private transport. Six orbital routes were proposed under the draft strategy, namely, Dún Laoghaire to Dundrum, Dundrum to Tallaght, Dundrum to Finglas, Ranelagh to Drumcondra, Tallaght to Blanchardstown and Blanchardstown to Kilbarrack. Following the conclusion of the public consultation process, the NTA is now in the process of finalising the strategy. Implementation of proposals in the strategy will be subject to approval of business cases and availability of funding.

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