Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Lawless for his kind words and I wish to reciprocate them. I hope he has a long and happy period in this House. As he has been a constituent of mine, I would also say that, while I have never been a constituent of his, most of my family came from Kildare and there are many constituents left there who may or may not be able to do him a favour in the future. I am not sure I can do a great deal for him today, but I can certainly give him a reply to the question he has put.

The new programme for Government includes a commitment to invest €3.6 billion across the lifetime of the capital plan for the period 2016 to 2022 in order to enable a number of major transport projects to proceed and to fund additional capacity to meet existing and future commuter needs. The capital plan provides for the commencement of a multi-phase DART expansion programme, as recommended under the NTA's recently published Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area. The wider DART expansion programme, which incorporates the DART underground project, is envisaged under the NTA's greater Dublin area strategy. The programme will see the DART system expanded to Drogheda on the northern line, Celbridge-Hazelhatch on the Kildare line and Maynooth on the Sligo line. The DART underground project, as currently designed, will not proceed. Instead, it will be redesigned to provide for a more cost-effective tunnel, which is the nub of the matter raised by the Deputy.

The NTA, the statutory remit of which covers the planning of public transport in the greater Dublin area, was requested in 2014 to review the Dart underground project in conjunction with the preparation of the transport strategy for the greater Dublin area. In July 2015, and based on the outcome of the updated business case, the NTA recommended that the project, which remains a key element of integrated transport for the greater Dublin area, be redesigned to provide a lower-cost technical solution, while retaining the required rail connectivity. A project of such magnitude - in the order of €3 billion - has to be designed and delivered in a way that ensures value for money for the taxpayer. The overall DART expansion programme has been assessed by the NTA as a positive project from an economic perspective and its advice is that the programme is essential for efficient transport in the greater Dublin area and nationally.

The programme has a key role to play in delivering an efficient transport system and key elements of the overall DART expansion programme will be progressed under the capital plan. However, it has been identified that it is possible to redesign the tunnel part of the project to substantially reduce the capital cost involved. The NTA's recommendations that the tunnel element can be delivered at a reduced cost to the taxpayer cannot be ignored. I can confirm that funding has been allocated in the new capital plan to progress redesign and planning for the revised project.

The Deputy will also be interested to learn that the Government's capital plan specifically provides for enhanced rail connectivity to the city centre for commuters on the Kildare rail line by upgrading the Phoenix Park tunnel line for passenger services. The project, which is funded by my Department through the NTA, will see commuters on the Kildare to Dublin Heuston line have the option of direct trains to Connolly, Tara Street, Pearse and Grand Canal Dock stations. Services on the Kildare commuter line will be a mix of Kildare to Dublin Heuston and Kildare to Grand Canal Dock services, offering new connections to commuters. These services will commence in quarter 4 of 2016.

The capital plan provides for investment in transport infrastructure to reduce congestion and cater for future demand. The DART underground remains a key element of the integrated transport strategy but I am anxious to ensure that the most economically advantageous and affordable solution can be identified for the benefit of the taxpayer. In the meantime, other elements of the DART expansion programme will proceed under the current capital plan.

See this speech in context