Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is obvious that very little priority has been given to this project. It was announced in 2015 and there was a four-year delivery plan but the Minister's response suggests it will be at least two years late in being delivered and I am very disappointed by that. I commend the Minister and the Minister for Finance for the additional resources that have been allocated to the transport projects identified in the capital plan but I am disappointed about this one because it is crucial for the northern commuter line. It provides those living in the northern towns in County Dublin with additional options to get them out of their cars and keep them out. A recent transport assessment identified that Dublin city will require an additional 40 multistorey car park facilities in a relatively short period in the absence of the delivery of key transport infrastructure, in particular on the north side of Dublin, in the form of DART services and the electrification of the northern and Maynooth lines. It is imperative that the NTA and TII deliver on what has been promised in the national capital plan for transport services across the State.

I commend the additional funding but I sincerely hope we will have no further slippage on this particular project. There is chronic overcrowding on an awful lot of services on the northern commuter lines, such that mainline diesel trains arrive in Malahide already full and this is the first stop that overlaps the DART. It is well and good for people around the first couple of stations to get into the city at peak times but for everybody else it is a chronic problem and the knock-on effect is significant.

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