Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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25. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to address capacity shortages that exist across the Dublin transport system; and the short and medium-term steps he is taking to address the matter. [18009/18]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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In light of the serious capacity shortages that exist across the public transport system of the capital, Dublin, what short and medium-term steps is the Minister taking to address the issue?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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This is not a new question but it is one in respect of which the reply should be updated regularly. The Deputy is right: there are short-term problems which must be addressed and the medium-term steps are equally important. I know he regularly says we do not have a vision and we should have both a long-term and a short-term vision of what will happen. I think we can offer that to the Deputy today.

The Dublin City Centre Transport Study, published jointly by Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority, NTA, in 2015, recognised that a rebalancing of the available road space would be required on various streets to facilitate the introduction of additional capacity for public transport, cycling and walking. Through a multi-agency approach by NTA, DCC, and TII working in conjunction with the various public transport operators, the measures set out in the 2015 study are being progressed so as to ensure that the Dublin city transport system is capable of operating efficiently and reliably, with consistent journey times, and that it facilitates the city's continued development and growth.

The NTA's Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-35 provides the overarching framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services for Dublin over the next two decades. The measures proposed in the strategy are linked to an analysis of current and projected levels of travel demand across the region.

Recent investment in public transport, allocated through the NTA, was targeted to provide additional capacity and alternative choice for private car users. This included investment in new cycling routes and expansion of public bicycle share schemes, integrated ticketing and real-time passenger information, renewal and expansion of the bus fleet, commencement of city centre rail resignalling, opening of the Phoenix Park tunnel, the progressive and ongoing introduction of city centre traffic management measures, reorganisation of bus services and the introduction of Luas cross city.

Budget 2018 provides for an increase in the multi-annual capital investment for public transport with a four-year capital envelope of €2.7 billion over the period from 2018 to 2021. The national development plan, which was launched earlier this year by the Government as part of Project Ireland 2040, confirms a number of key investment priorities. These will be delivered progressively and steadily over the short, medium and long term, to deliver a comprehensive public transport network to match transport demand, alleviate congestion and deliver a range of benefits over the next decade.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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There is nothing new in the Minister's reply in terms of what will happen here and now. If one considers capital investment in transport, it was €3.8 billion in 2008 but fell to €1 billion in 2016. Congestion costs the State millions of euro every year and it robs people of their lives by ensuring they spend long periods commuting to and from work. The National Transport Authority, NTA, only advises Dublin Bus annually on what funding it will get. It cannot plan even 12 months in advance in terms of ordering new buses, for which there is a lead-in time of nine to 12 months. The Minister spoke about cycling and increased investment in cycling infrastructure. This is factually incorrect. The Minister's reply to another parliamentary question I tabled stated that in 2015, a sum of €18.8 million was invested in cycling infrastructure whereas last week, the Minister confirmed at the committee meeting on the Estimates that in 2018, only €8 million would be invested.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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We are going over somewhat old territory but it is probably worth listing some of the short to medium-term measures we will introduce. As the Deputy knows, it is a very ambitious plan. We will have additional Luas capacity, with new longer 55 m trams and lengthened existing trams being introduced on the green line. There will be the introduction of a new service timetable to make optimum use of the new longer trams, which we expect to be fully introduced in service by the end of May, which is very short term. We will commence the roll-out of BusConnects to overhaul the current bus system. We will complete the city centre resignalling project. We will deliver priority elements of the DART expansion programme. We will manage the traffic flow on the M50. We will invest in park and ride. There will be an investment of more than €750 million for BusConnects. This is something the Deputy and I seem to have some sort of a constant disagreement about, but up to 2021 we will have investment of more than €110 million for new urban cycling and walking routes in the greater Dublin area and in the Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford city areas.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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When the Minister speaks of all of these plans he never once gives a timeline. He talks about BusConnects but that is 2027. At present, 60% of new Dublin Bus buses are replacement buses, at a time when the number of passenger journeys on Dublin bus has increased from approximately 120 million to 150 million per annum in three years. This year, 15 of the new buses are actually replacement buses. The funding that has been spent on cycling infrastructure in the past three years has decreased from €18 million to €8 million. The Minister spoke about longer trams. Was the Department made aware of the technical fault? It is my understanding these longer trams are the first of their type anywhere in the world. Do we have confidence that when they come back at the end of May they will work satisfactorily? When they come back at the end of May, will they provide the same chaos that was provided to other modes of transport in the capital city? With regard to College Green, when will An Bord Pleanála adjudicate on the future plaza on College Green?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I certainly cannot interfere with the planning process, and I certainly cannot tell the Deputy when An Bord Pleanála will report.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I did not ask the Minister to interfere.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I will not do that. That is matter for An Bord Pleanála. I hope it does it very quickly. I absolutely share the Deputy's frustration but I will certainly not go in there and tell it to get on with it, if the Deputy is going to suggest that I do so.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I did not ask the Minister to interfere, and I ask him not to misinterpret what I said.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I am just telling the Deputy I will not. I do not know and I will not do anything about it. That planning process is something which is sacrosanct and I will not interfere with it.

With regard to new buses and BusConnects, there is an investment of more than €750 million. The Deputy said it will not happen until 2027. The public consultation on the core bus corridors will be starting in a couple of months. The public consultation on the redesigned bus network for BusConnects will happen in the third quarter of 2018. The public consultation on core corridors at the detailed level will happen in the third quarter of 2018. The submission of the application of BusConnects to An Bord Pleanála will happen certainly in 2019. The implementation of BusConnects redesigned services will be in 2019 and the commenced construction of core bus corridors will be in 2021. That is a long way from 2027.