Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I reject the Fianna Fáil motion, and on behalf of the Government I have proposed a counter motion. We all know that congestion has a negative impact on the quality of people’s lives and on the economy. The Government is continuing to take steps to address the prolonged underinvestment in integrated public transport of the last decade. This will not only provide an alternative to private car use and ease congestion but also move us towards our climate change objectives. Project 2040 rightly recognises that significant investment in public transport will be required to accommodate change and growth, while also providing more choice for the travelling public and improving quality of life. Together with the National Transport Authority’s Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035, Project 2040 provides for the planning and delivery of public transport infrastructure and services over the short, medium and long term.

My investment priorities identified will build on recent Government investment in public transport projects in the Dublin region, including the Luas cross city, the upgrade to the Phoenix Park tunnel, bus fleet replacement, sustainable transport projects, improvements to rail and bus station facilities, and the introduction of passenger-friendly smart technologies.

The Fianna Fáil motion states that there was no forward planning to allow for the introduction of Luas cross city. This is simply nonsense. The House may be aware that Dublin City Council and the NTA jointly published the Dublin city centre transport study in 2015 which sets out the various measures proposed for Dublin’s city centre to ensure the efficient functioning of transport within the city centre. In preparing the 2015 study, Dublin City Council and the NTA reviewed the current and future transportation needs of the city.

Yesterday, I held a meeting with the chief executive of the National Transport Authority, NTA, Anne Graham. She is well aware of my concerns, those of the Deputies opposite and other colleagues in this House. Today, the NTA announced additional changes to further reduce bus numbers in the area of the plaza.

I have been advised by the NTA that passenger numbers on the Luas green line have increased, as I said, by over 24%. That is a huge, sudden increase in the number of people using our public transport system.

One could say that the Luas has been a temporary victim of its own success, but while it is welcomed that so many new customers are using the extended green line, this success, as I and the Deputies fully recognise, presents new challenges and difficulties. It has meant that, at certain times of the day, some trams are operating at above or below capacity. However, that is actively and robustly being addressed. As part of the Luas cross city project, we have purchased seven additional new, long 55 m trams. These have a higher passenger capacity than existing trams and thereby significantly increase overall capacity on the green Line. The first of these additional trams recently came into service. Two more are currently in Ireland undergoing final testing and commissioning. One of these is expected to go into passenger service by the end of this week with the second to operate about a week or so later, at the start of March. The remaining four trams, following the necessary final testing and commissioning, will be put into service progressively over the following ten weeks. Coupled with increasing capacity, the NTA has also advised me of planned changes to the Luas green and red line timetables to improve the frequency of service, particularly in the morning and evening peak periods.

In addition, we have ordered more trams. Late last year, I asked Cabinet to approve the green line capacity enhancement project. This project includes the lengthening of existing green line trams to 55 m and the purchase of a further eight new longer trams. Again, this will greatly increase the capacity of the fleet to meet future passenger demand and, as the Deputies know, we have recently completed a project to lengthen the platforms at the existing Green line stations to enable the use of these new, longer trams so the stations are ready and waiting to be of use.

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