Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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One of the most consistent issues raised with me during the general election campaign was the lack of delivery on the long-promised Lucan Luas line. At doorway after doorway, people spoke with frustration, not just about the delay but with a sense that our area, Lucan, is often overlooked when it comes to major transport infrastructure. This is a wider issue across the constituency of Dublin Mid-West. What strikes me is that I can count on one hand the number of times the Lucan Luas line was raised in this Chamber during the lifetime of the previous Dáil. Despite it being contained in transport strategies and policy documents for many years, there has not been any level of political urgency about it. I would like to think that will change now.

As a Government TD, I am determined to bring a renewed focus to this project, not just because it is politically convenient but because it is strategically necessary for people in Dublin Mid-West. Communities such as Lucan are expected to shoulder significant housing expansion but we cannot keep on asking people to wait for transport infrastructure that is always promised but never prioritised or delivered. Last week, the national planning framework was discussed and adopted by the House. At its core is an objective to prioritise transport-orientated development and strengthen commitments to align transport investment with housing and population growth in metropolitan areas.

It follows then that in considering transport options for a growing suburb such as Lucan, it is essential we make the correct long-term infrastructure decisions. Time and again, international and domestic research points to light rail as the most sustainable and scalable solution for suburbs of Lucan's profile. It combines the capacity needed for our growing population with the environmental performance and accessibility our communities deserve. A Luas to Lucan will ensure we deliver compact connected communities and not isolated housing estates.

Lucan’s population, transport demand and existing congestion make it an ideal challenge for light rail. Rapidly growing areas like Adamstown and Clonburris make the case undeniable. Unlike lower capacity solutions such as bus rapid transit, light rail offers permanence, capacity and faster journey times. It can be delivered quicker than metro. In communities like Dundrum, Inchicore and Sandyford, Luas has been highly successful in encouraging people to switch from their cars. Put simply, light rail delivers a level of service that transforms how people travel and how they plan their lives around transport.

Luas has been one of the most cost-effective infrastructure projects in Irish history. It removes the need for millions of car journeys and has the lowest CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre among motorised modes of transport. It is time-effective. People vote with their feet, as evidenced by the sustained demand on Luas lines every day of the week.

It is time for us in this House and agencies like the NTA to get real about transport policy. There is a clear need to refocus and review how we approach transport projects, not just through the lens of aspiration but through the lens of delivery. It is not enough to plan; we must build and deliver, and I know the new Minister for Transport, Deputy O’Brien, understands this.

We must prioritise the route finalisation for the Lucan Luas line as soon as possible and drive this project to the planning stages as soon as we can. The adoption of the revised national planning framework should give us the impetus to do this. We must push past inertia, especially bureaucratic and legal hurdles, ensuring that areas like Lucan, with growing populations and public transport deficits, are not permanently left behind.

Let me be clear. This is not about pitting one project against another, but the case for the Lucan Luas line is as strong as any other light rail extension in the country. The demand, population and need are there. That is why I continue to argue that a Luas line for Lucan is not a luxury but a necessity.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address this issue in the House today.

As the Deputy said, 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. Progress is being made on a number of proposed light rail projects.

There are four proposed expansions to the Luas network outlined in the current greater Dublin area transport strategy. The most advanced of these schemes is the Luas Finglas project. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, submitted a planning application to An Bord Pleanála in November 2024 for this project and we await a decision on this matter. In addition, a public consultation on the emerging preferred route for a Luas line in Cork is also currently open.

The National Transport Authority, NTA, has statutory responsibility for transport planning in the greater Dublin area. The development of a Luas line to serve Lucan is currently one of the medium-term projects in the NTA Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042, as approved by the Minister for Transport, for development and delivery within the 2031-36 timeframe. The measure outlined in the greater Dublin area transport strategy is "to develop a light rail line from Lucan to the City Centre, [as the Deputy spoke about], supplementing and complementing the planned bus system, to serve the overall public transport needs in this area".

Transport Infrastructure Ireland is the sponsoring agency for the proposed Luas to Lucan project and the NTA is the day-to-day approving authority. I understand that the NTA recently submitted a project outline document, POD, to the Department of Transport, as is required under the Department of Transport's appraisal framework. The POD noted that Luas Lucan has the potential to reduce transport emissions and encourage the use of public transport along the study corridor while catering for growth and improved customer experience.

The Luas Lucan is an east-west light rail line proposed to enhance connectivity across key areas of Dublin, supporting our economy and population growth and improving the quality of public realm for its residents. The scheme will complement the planned BusConnects Dublin and the DART+ programme to provide a high-quality network of multimodal options in the area out to Lucan. BusConnects core bus corridors to Lucan and Liffey Valley have both received planning permission from An Bord Pleanála.

The Government understands the merits of the proposed Luas to Lucan project. It is one of a number of projects that have been highlighted to the Minister for Transport for acceleration as part of the review of the national development plan, which is planned to take place soon.

Regarding route finalisation for the Luas Lucan project, the route selection and concept development phase of the project continues. A number of end-to-end options have now been selected, with further review of these options through a more detailed multicriteria analysis currently taking place. TII, as the sponsoring agency, plans to finalise the emerging preferred route next year. It will be after this point that TII, with the support of the NTA, will publish the emerging preferred route and options selection report. TII will then hold a non-statutory public consultation.

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for that response. I note that Lucan is the largest town in Dublin without access to light rail, so when I talk about this extension, it is not just about transport but about fairness and inclusion.

The Minister of State referenced the public transport connectedness that exists across parts of the infrastructure currently. There is a very large public transport deficit in Lucan as well. BusConnects has taken some steps towards the catch-up that we need to play, but there is a huge opportunity for us here to get this right with the extension of the Luas infrastructure to Lucan. I am thinking especially of the working mother in Lucan who spends over an hour commuting by bus into the city centre. Her journey time could be halved, enabling her to have a better quality of life. I think of the older person living in the area who finds current transport options very limiting in terms of accessibility and cost. A Luas stop would provide that person with greater independence and access to essential services.

I welcome the fact that the Luas Lucan project has been highlighted for possible accelerated delivery under the NDP. I will be working with the Minister for Transport to advocate for that. It is a no-brainer to ensure that we accelerate the delivery of this project. I am of the view that we complete the process of designing the emerging preferred route as fast as we can. As soon as the detailed multicriteria analysis that the Minister of State referenced is done, we should move immediately to the emerging preferred route. We need to get that out into the ether as soon as we can.

We need to show an urgency with this in respect of the length of time we are going to spend on the public consultation. People should have their say but they should also see there is an urgency and an impetus behind this, especially in light of our discussion in this House last week on the need for the additional zoning of land, in Dublin in particular. This is the sort of project that enables that additional zoning.

I will keep fighting for this during my time in this House. I hope we can push it to planning as soon as we can.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Again, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank the Deputy for his commitment, comments and interest in this important issue.

Regarding current developments, as mentioned, I understand that the route selection and concept development phase of the project is now taking place, with a number of end-to-end options going through a detailed multicriteria analysis. As stated in the National Development Plan 2021-2030, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, as the project’s sponsoring agency, and the NTA, as the day-to-day approving authority, will continue with the appraisal and planning of the Luas to Lucan project. As the sponsoring agency, TII plans to finalise the emerging preferred route in the first quarter of 2026. After this point, TII, with the support of the National Transport Authority, will publish the emerging preferred route and will hold a non-statutory public consultation.

I reiterate that the proposed extension of the Luas to Lucan is only one of a number of a projects identified in the greater Dublin area transport strategy to significantly improve the combined light rail and heavy rail network by 2042. I assure the Deputy that projects will be progressed in line with the requirements of infrastructure guidelines and that public consultation processes will be undertaken at appropriate stages as projects are progressed.

I understand the merits of the proposed Luas line to Lucan, as does the Government, and we look forward to seeing it progress through infrastructure guidelines.