Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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6. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport what plans there are for improved bike security measures, turning points for buses, electric vehicle, EV, charging points, and car parking measures at Portmarnock train station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42897/23]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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Three weeks ago, construction work began at Portmarnock train station, which cut off the majority of car parking spaces and threw many people’s travel arrangements into disarray. What are the long-term plans for improved bike security measures, turning points for buses, EV charging points and long-term car park measures at Portmarnock train station?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport in Ireland, including in relation to the rail network. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the greater Dublin area.

I am advised by the NTA of a range of works currently under way at Portmarnock which seem to address the issues raised by the Deputy. I understand these works will be completed by January 2024 and will provide, among other things, a new bus turning point with two bus stops; additional bike parking, increasing the current 40 uncovered bike parking spaces to 60 covered bike parking spaces; improved pedestrian and cycling access; a new set-down area at the station entrance; and upgrades to other existing infrastructure, including drainage, lighting, CCTV and landscaping. These improvements to the station complement the investment made last year through the provision of two new lifts at the station.

In the medium term, I am informed that Iarnród Éireann is planning further improvements to the car park itself, including the potential provision of EV charging points. These improvements will require planning permission and I understand a planning application will be made next year. I hope these improvements will collectively improve the passenger experience at the station. Last year’s rail census showed a strong bounce-back in passenger numbers using the station, even if they are not yet back at the levels of 2019.

More broadly, the area will benefit in the future from improvements to be introduced under BusConnects with a new L81 service, which will be a new service between Sutton and Dublin Airport, calling at Portmarnock station. The works under way at the station will facilitate the introduction of this new service, while Portmarnock will also benefit from DART+ in the coming years using the battery-electric trains to which I referred in response to earlier questions.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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There are an awful lot of encouraging plans for Portmarnock train station but the situation is a bit chaotic at the moment. There are a couple of elements. Regarding BusConnects, for someone living in Portmarnock who wants to get a bus to the train station, it is almost handier to take the bus to Malahide than it is to go directly to Portmarnock station. The L81 service will not remedy that for many people who live in Portmarnock, given the planned route.

People living west of Portmarnock, particularly in the older and newer parts of Kinsealy, have to drive because there are no cycle lanes and in many areas there are no pathways. They reluctantly have had to drive to the train station for years, which is obviously not ideal. However, park-and-ride facilities are a feature of train stations almost everywhere outside of the major cities. What appears to be a temporary reduction in car park spaces is having a real impact.

The Minister mentioned that a planning application will be made next year. How many spaces will be included in that? Will it be a multi-storey car park solution?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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It is my understanding that it is likely to be multi-storey. The Deputy is correct that as part of these improvements to the DART station, there is a temporary reduction in car park spaces, from approximately 270 to 170 spaces. There is a short-term reduction but, subject to planning permission, the current spaces are due to be replace with a more significant parking service.

Park-and-ride services have a role and are an important part of the various solutions. They may help to address some of the issues I mentioned on the approaches to the M50 where drivers cannot effectively get through because the roads are at full capacity. Park-and-ride facilities outside some of those locations may help to overcome that problem, particularly where we provide bus priority lanes in order to allow buses to get through quickly. I am not sure they are the ideal solution for a local area-----

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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Yes.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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-----where people are taking 2 km or 3 km trips. That is not the sort of situation for which we are looking to provide a park-and-ride service. It is more for helping with long-term solutions. The solution in the case of Portmarnock has to come from the local authority. Fingal County Council is starting to step up by making sure there are proper footpaths and safe cycling access, so that we can start getting what is available in Dutch towns and cities where there are massive bike parking facilities beside railway stations.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister. He will get a chance to come back in.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Bikes and trains go well together.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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I agree. Public transport, be it a local bus service or, ideally, cycling and active travel to get people to the train station, is the way to go. I do not like to see big park-and-ride facilities and I am certainly not promoting that in this case but the reality is that, on the Kinsealy side of Portmarnock especially, none of the Fingal County Council plans is going to provide safe levels of access, so a degree of car parking provision will always be needed at a train station like Portmarnock. That is not to say we want a large park-and-ride facility to be created. Those who live in Portmarnock want to get the bus and to be able to cycle safely to the train station. They are not able to do that at the moment and there is concern that with the plans that are coming forward, they probably will not be able to do that in the future as easily as they should. We must take a look at the future bus provision and improve the cycle network on what in many ways are old country roads which now have a large town built around them. There are a lot of positive initiatives going on and I hope we can improve the situation as the planning applications are made.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I will make one last point. It might be seen as tangential but I think it is central. There was a very important report two years ago, which I think was called Travelling in a Woman's Shoes, which was about safety and public transport for women or other users who may not feel safe at night. Some of the investment in Portmarnock DART Station has improved lighting, the public realm and the sense of safety and security and made the station more attractive. That is a really important part of the developments we need in our DART stations where sometimes late at night they can feel just a little bit isolated. Improving the station as well as providing the other transport connections is a part of what we need to do.