Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Topical Issue. I represent one of the youngest and fastest-growing constituencies in the State in Fingal West. Many of my constituents are served by the train, which runs alongside the side of my constituency, and some by bus. Unfortunately, for my constituents, most of the existing transport routes only bring them in to town. They need dynamic connectivity to bring them from one town to another. We know there is a link from Rush to Lusk to Balbriggan to Skerries to Loughshinny, which is good. These towns are linked by a bus service, but the outlying, smaller towns and villages are not linked up by a bus service.

Equally, many of my constituents experience difficulties accessing the train inasmuch as they do not have public transport that will take them all the way there. We do not have connected cycle routes either, so it is very tough for my constituents to get to the main source of transport. For elderly constituents who simply want to move around within their towns and villages, it is very tough for them to do so.

Some new housing estates are being built in north county Dublin now. Given the scale of the Government's housing crisis, any house building is, of course, to be welcomed. However, there is no joined-up thinking. There is no bus route. Every time a new estate is established, as sure as night follows day, a couple of weeks after people start to move in, a campaign has to be started to get a bus. There has to be some type of forward thinking. If people are moving in to the houses, they are not staying in them forever and for always and for 24 hours a day. They will need to get out. On the one hand, the Government says that it wants us out of our cars and to use public transport, which is a very noble and worthwhile endeavour. However, I do not know how the Minister of State imagines my constituents feel when they are told that the station that serves Rush and Lusk is taken into the Dublin city commuter zone. This is really welcome. It means reduced fares, which is really important. However, those people who use trains that leave from Skerries or Balbriggan have been taken out of the Dublin city commuter zone. It is not that far and the trainline is just a straight line up - I am sure the Minister of State is familiar with the area. They will now have to pay higher fares while towns in Wicklow, Meath and Kildare are being brought into the Dublin city commuter zone.

I am sure the Minister of State will appreciate that my constituents are very angry about this move. Like the Government, they share the aspiration to leave their cars at home. However, a disincentive is being created by making sure they have to pay extra. I mean no disrespect to the people who live in Kildare, Wicklow and Meath. I wish them the very best. I do not begrudge them the reduced fares. It is a good thing that there are reduced fares. In fact, I think it is such a good thing that I want more towns to be included in the Dublin city commuter zone. However, I would like if those towns were in Dublin as well since the scheme appears to be accommodating enough to include towns outside of Dublin city and county. We want to see people using the trains. I will not get into the issue of overcrowding with the Minister of State now. We really want to see people using the trains but they are getting a mixed message from the Government. On the one hand people are being told to leave the car at home but on the other hand, train fares are being increased.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I would not be quite as nice to Meath people at a Leinster final or on an All-Ireland Sunday, as the Deputy was there. I thank her for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. 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 in Fingal West. 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, and it provides a clear statement of transport planning policy.

This strong policy support has been backed up by increased levels of Exchequer funding, which is supporting the roll-out of initiatives such as MetroLink, BusConnects Dublin and DART+. The delivery of these projects had been delayed due to delays in the planning approval process. However, there have been some positive developments recently, with An Bord Pleanála approving 11 of the 12 BusConnects Dublin core bus corridors, including the Swords to the city centre scheme, as well as the conditional approval of DART+ West and full approval of DART+ South West projects.

These projects will continue to advance in the coming years. It is anticipated that the first of the BusConnects Dublin core bus corridors will enter construction later this year, which will represent a significant milestone in the delivery of the major public transport projects. The first six phases of the BusConnects Dublin network redesign have also been rolled out in recent years. These new spines, including the A spine via the airport to Swords, will continue to be rolled out on an incremental basis in the coming years.

Two orders for the new DART+ train fleet have been placed so far. The first order is for the purchase of 95 additional DART carriages, which comprise 65 battery-electric carriages and 30 electric carriages. These carriages started arriving into Ireland last year and are currently undergoing testing, prior to entry into service. The battery-electric carriages are planned to enter service on the northern line from Dublin to Drogheda in 2026.

MetroLink will provide improved access to employment, education, leisure and healthcare facilities. This includes Dublin Airport, the Mater hospital, the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin, and numerous other locations in Dublin city centre.

The Government approved MetroLink under decision gate 1 of the public spending code in July 2022. This enabled the project to enter the planning system. In September 2022 Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, submitted a planning application to An Bord Pleanála. The railway order consultation period, following the submission of the railway order application, provided the opportunity for stakeholders along the MetroLink route to raise concerns about the project. The statutory planning consultation for the project closed in January 2023.

In 2024, An Bord Pleanála held an oral hearing and an additional round of public consultation in relation to MetroLink. A planning decision from An Bord Pleanála is awaited. In addition to the above, TII submitted a planning application for Luas Finglas to An Bord Pleanála last November. The statutory consultation period for this project closed in January.

This major public transport project will extend the existing Luas tram network northwards by almost 4 km from Broombridge to the Finglas area, shortening journey times to and from Dublin city centre to approximately 30 minutes or less.

This route will provide interchanges with Broombridge train station, which is on the planned DART+ west line, as well as bus services. These projects represent a major improvement to public transport offerings in the west Fingal area.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am very annoyed. MetroLink does not serve my constituency. Neither do DART+ west and DART+ south west. The only DART+ project that will serve my constituents is DART+ coastal north, which has been a very long tale. I do not have the time to tell it all, but suffice to say that it has been a decade since the bridges were raised. A little like draining the River Shannon, it gets wheeled out every once in a while, but it never actually seems to happen.

I fully appreciate the Minister of State being here and I thank him for the reply. However, that reply relates to people who live in different areas and not the people I represent. The people I represent in Skerries and Balbriggan are being taken out of the Dublin city commuter zone and will now have to pay more to get in. The Department has not even included the DART+ coastal north project in the reply. That will drive my constituents up the wall, as I am sure the Minister of State will appreciate. While it is brilliant that the metro will come, and I am sure some of my constituents will use it, people will have to travel in their cars or by another form of public transport to get to the metro, which will stop in Swords. That is not in the constituency of Dublin Fingal West. It is in the Minister for Transport's constituency, which might lead people to believe it will be built, unless they are familiar with his record in other areas.

I understand the limitations of the Minister of State's reply, but I would very much appreciate if he would get a comprehensive reply for me from the Minister for Transport. This should not be a reply that tells me why he cannot deal with the matter but a reply that provides an explanation for me and my constituents as to why commuters from the towns of Skerries and Balbriggan will have to pay more to get into town and use the public transport service, while at the same time, as the Minister of State said, improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving quality of life, achieving decarbonisation, and is part of the goals that have been set out in the programme the Government. These things do not make sense. If the Government wants people to use public transport, it needs to make it accessible, frequent and affordable. More money is being charged to my constituents to use public transport while at the same time they are being told that they have to play their part in decarbonisation, which they want to do. They are Dubs. They live in Dublin. They want to be in the Dublin city commuter zone.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will of course convey the Deputy's views to the Minister. In summary, transport connectivity is obviously highly important for people who live and work, as we know, throughout Ireland. It is key to our villages, towns, and to Dublin and our other cities to encourage urban centres and have strong local economies. I believe, as does the Minister, in expanding the public transport network and increasing services throughout the country, including in the west Fingal area. The ways we have set out to do that are included in what I said, such as BusConnects and Connecting Ireland. That will lead to a better facility overall for public transport users. I will take note of the Deputy's request and pass it on to the Minister.