Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking for the Minister for Transport, and I apologise that he is not here. It is an important matter. Having been a student In Maynooth, I have seen the growth of Kilcock, Sallins and Maynooth.

Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens' quality of life and achieving our decarbonisation goals. Achieving these goals has been set out in the programme for Government. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has statutory responsibility for transport planning in the greater Dublin area, including County Kildare. The NTA's greater Dublin area transport strategy, which was approved by the Minister for Transport in January 2023, sets out a framework for transport investment across the region over a 20-year period from 2022 to 2042. It also provides a clear statement of transport planning policy for counties including Kildare.

I clarify the planned proposals related to the DART+ West and South West projects and the current position of the proposals in the planning and development stage. The DART+ West project aims to increase passenger capacity on the Maynooth and M3 Parkway rail lines. This will be achieved by changing to electrified, high-capacity DART trains and increasing the frequency of train services between Maynooth Station and M3 Parkway Station to Connolly Station and to a new proposed Spencer Dock station. The project also included the construction of a new DART depot facility.

A planning decision, called a railway order, was granted by An Bord Pleanála for DART+ in July 2024 subject to a number of conditions, notably that the proposed depot west of Maynooth not be constructed due to concerns about flood risk. Iarnród Éireann and the NTA are engaging on the submission of a new railway order to An Bord Pleanála for the proposed depot. There are also two judicial reviews lodged in the High Court against the granted railway order. These issues are being examined before a decision on the next steps is made.

The DART+ South West project involves the electrification of the Kildare line from Dublin Heuston to Hazelhatch-Celbridge, the provision of four tracks between Heuston Station and Park West and Cherry Orchard, and a new station at Heuston west. A railway order was approved by An Bord Pleanála for this project late last year and Iarnród Éireann is now working to progress the preparation of procurement documents for this project to enable later construction.

While neither Kilcock nor Sallins are included in the extended electrification works proposed under the DART+ programme, consideration has been given to the efficient, effective and sustainable movement of people and goods in the greater Dublin area. Since the submission of the railway order applications for the DART+ West and DART+ South West projects to An Bord Pleanála, the new Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042 has been finalised and adopted. The new strategy includes an objective to extend the DART system further westwards to Kilcock, Sallins and Naas. It is intended that the extension of the DART to Sallins and Naas would be linked with the provision of a major park and ride site, in the order of 1,000 spaces, on the Sallins bypass, with the potential of a new train station to be developed alongside the park and ride.

The proposed extensions to Kilcock and Sallins and Naas will be developed as a separate follow-on project to the DART+ programme. Planning work on these extensions could commence this year. The exact timelines for these two extensions will be developed as design and planning work gets under way. The projects will also be advanced subject to funding and securing relevant approvals, and as such the Department of Transport will consider them as part of its submission to the review of the national development plan, which is planned to take place later this year.

I would be happy to have officials in the Department talk to the Deputy further to his submission this afternoon.

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