Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 21 and 30 together.

I will give a general response to all three questions and I will then specifically address the MetroLink project. I am happy to go into detail on MetroLink, but I should also set out the status of some other major transport projects in the greater Dublin area and the current status of the transport strategy.

There are three current mega-projects under development in the greater Dublin area, namely, BusConnects, DART+ and MetroLink. Each of these projects are multibillion euro investments, among the largest public investment projects ever to be undertaken in the State and each is significant in its own right. Together they have the potential to utterly transform sustainable mobility in the region.

On BusConnects, I am pleased to see continued progress with today’s announcement of the final network redesign. Implementation of this new network will now commence in 2021 and I very much welcome this move towards implementation. Work is continuing on the development of the preliminary business case and in finalising the infrastructure requirements for the core bus corridors, with another round of public consultation scheduled for November.

Over the summer, I launched a consultation process on DART+, specifically proposals for the Maynooth line. DART+ will effectively double the capacity of the commuter rail network and is hugely important. Alongside that consultation process, work continues on developing the preliminary business case and assessing tenders received in relation to fleet expansion. As required by the public spending code, all of these preliminary business cases will require Government approval to allow the three projects to progress together, and I expect to bring these business cases to Government early next year.

At a strategic level, the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035 is being reviewed and will be updated if required. A review is required every six years and the NTA has already commenced work on this, which will include examining the potential for further metro routes into the future. I understand a public consultation will commence next year.

On MetroLink, the finalised business case is expected to be submitted to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport during the first quarter of 2021 and brought to Government for its approval in line with the public spending code. It is expected that the railway order and planning permission application will be lodged with An Bord Pleanála next year also. Construction will begin once that procedure is completed.

See this speech in context