James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Before I get into the substantive matter, I congratulate the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, on his appointment. I was a constituent of his in his previous role as a Trinity Senator when he did us proud. I wish him well.

I commute from Kildare and represent commuters from north Kildare and wider commuter belt constituencies. It was with concern, shock and dismay that I greeted the recent announcement of the greater Dublin area 30 year transport strategy. I appreciate that the Minister was not in his new position at the time and cannot be blamed for the details of the plan. However, the Government must accept responsibility for its announcement and the programme was not debated in the Dáil. I acknowledge that there was a hiatus at the time, but this is a substantial transport investment programme to be implemented over 30 years. Of greatest concern is that it appears to contain little reference to what previously would have been considered the linchpin of the entire strategy - the interconnector tunnel. This is the missing link in the greater Dublin area transport system and the nation's transport system because it would be our circle line, the line that would connect the north, west, south and east. It would connect Pearse, Connolly and Heuston railway stations. For several years there was much ado about the two Luas lines not connecting. However, far less has been said about the two central railway lines into the city not connecting and which have been operated for over a century. This is of major concern.

The transport strategy, as published, contains within the 60 page document one clause in parentheses referencing the possibility of a tunnel. There is a map included in the appendix. If one traces carefully enough with a magnifying glass, one can make out what may or may not be a tunnel. I am seriously concerned about whether the tunnel has been scrapped, dropped from the plan or whether it is still included. Being such a central piece of the strategy, the question must be asked why it has not been included.

I shall put into context the need for thie tunnel to connect the two railway lines. Commuters using the Kildare lines - I use them on an almost daily basis - as well as commuters from further south and the south west, from Portlaoise, Kilkenny and Waterford, and the large volume of commuter traffic from Newbridge, Sallins, Naas, Celbridge and Hazelhatch and on all the lines and stations in between must disembark at Heuston Station. They must then travel onwards on foot to connect with the Luas. The Luas has been a welcome development, but it is still another mode of transport. Commuters must then travel on the Luas line in the direction of Connolly Station and get off and walk or cycle to make their onward journeys via other modes of transport. At the very least commuters must use three connections to get to wherever they want to go. The majority wish to travel to the city centre or to the southside of the city which is where most employment centres are located. For anybody travelling across country, in making national or regional journeys, the problem, again, especially for elderly people and those with luggage, etc., is that they must make criss-cross journeys using the train and the Luas.

The tunnel was previously the linchpin of the Transport 21 strategy. Some €40 million was spent on research and feasibility studies, all of which confirmed that this would be a worthwhile project. The cost-benefit return would very significant, despite the large cost of the project. This was without factoring in the capital and economic stimulus during construction. The ratio was 4.23:1, or to keep it simple 4:1, using the traditional cost-benefit analysis. It is amazing to see an infrastructural project of such importance to the capital city, the greater Dublin area and commuters on the Kildare and other lines, apparently, being dropped from the plan.

Perhaps I am pre-empting the Minister's response, but I am aware that the Phoenix Park tunnel is to be opened later this year. It is a welcome development but by no means is it a substitute for the interconnector DART underground service. The Phoenix Park tunnel will connect the Kildare line with Connolly Station and possibly Pearse Station, but it will not fill the gap in terms of the provision of a circle line. Most other capital cities in Europe and around the world, in countries apparently less developed than Ireland, have such a circle line. It is a normal part of public transport infrastructure. I seriously impress on the Minister the need to re-evaluate this project. If it is not contained within the transport plan - it is not apparent from the document that it is - I ask him to please include it. It is a critical project, not just within the commuter belt but for the nation as a whole. It would probably be the most important public infrastructural project in the next decade, if not the next century. I prevail on the Minister to reconsider it and place it at the centre of public transport planning in the next Dáil term.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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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.