Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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99. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for a status update on the development of the Galway metropolitan area transport strategy; the timeline for the completion of the strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51768/25]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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119. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Question No. 137 of 24 June 2025, the progress to date on the roll-out of light rail for Galway, following the publication of the feasibility study on 30 October 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51778/25]

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Connolly has double time.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I am not sure whether the Minister or Minister of State will answer this question. Galway is a beautiful city. Is cathair dhátheangach í ar thairseach na Gaeltachta is mó sa tír ach is fadhb ollmhór é an tranglam tráchta. Baineann mo cheist leis na réitigh. I am asking for a status update on the development of the Galway metropolitan area transport strategy, which has been in place since 2016. It was dated then and we are still waiting for the review. Will the Minister also give an update on the progress to date of the roll-out of light rail? It has been almost a year since the report was published on the feasibility of light rail for Galway.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 119 together.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht na gceisteanna tábhachtacha. Aontaím léi faoi chathair na Gaillimhe. The National Transport Authority is currently developing the Galway metropolitan area transport strategy in conjunction with Galway City Council and Galway County Council. It will replace the existing Galway transport strategy the Deputy referred to, which was adopted in 2016. It is important to note that while the development continues, investment in Galway's transport network continues.

It is taking place in line with the existing strategy. The Deputy will no doubt be aware of, and welcome, the funding the Government has made available to support the redevelopment of Ceannt Station, the expansion of Oranmore Station, the progression of BusConnects Galway, delivery of active travel projects in the city and county on a scale we have not seen before and the opening of the Moycullen bypass.

As part of the development of the new strategy, mode-specific analysis in the form of a light rail feasibility study and a strategic roads feasibility study will form part of the analysis used to inform the development of the multimodal GMATS, alongside recommendations for active travel, bus, rail, roads and demand-management measures. The light rail feasibility study was published by the NTA on 30 October 2024. That feasibility study is not a stand-alone document and has been published for information only. The feasibility study does not identify a preferred alignment for light rail in the study area and is only intended to explore issues and potential feasibility. The indicative route options presented in the final report would need to be explored further, following any decision to further progress light rail for the city.

I know the Deputy will be acutely aware that in January 2023, the High Court remitted the application for approval of the N6 Galway city ring road back to An Coimisiún Pleanála for further consideration. Galway County Council submitted an updated environmental impact assessment report and the Natura impact statement to An Coimisiún Pleanála on 15 April 2025 in relation to the N6 Galway city ring road. The NTA is of the view, and I agree, that this updated information must be considered in the preparation of the strategic roads feasibility study and the GMATS and prior to publication of a draft strategy for public consultation.

That decision from An Coimisiún Pleanála will be critical to how the overall transport system works. I know this is a matter close to the Deputy’s heart, so I am not trying in any way to be disagreeable but I want to acknowledge the projects that are happening and are in place. The ring road will be critical in the decision on the future of the city of Galway and its transport network.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for the comprehensive answer. Unfortunately, there is no park-and-ride facility in Galway even though it went into the plan 20 years ago on 1 February 2005. It has simply never been rolled out. On a feasibility study for light rail, we collected 24,000 signatures. I forget which year it was, it is so long ago now, but it was 2017 or 2018. It took until last year to get the feasibility study - I want to thank the previous Minister for that - but now the Minister is telling me nothing will happen in that regard except we are going to wait for the plan that cannot be done until we get a decision from An Bord Pleanála. It is since 1999, when I became a councillor, that I have been listening about an outer bypass. I have my own views about that and have taken a decision in relation to that but I have always put forward other solutions. It was 1999 when I was elected. It is now 2025 and there is not a sign of the outer bypass.

Of increased transport demand, the study by the Department of Transport tells us:

... will eventually result in the bypass becoming congested without further intervention. While traffic flows will become lighter [... it] will remain a challenge ... while the overall level of congestion in the city will rise given the higher volume ...

That is the Department of Transport study telling us that even with another road, we are going to be in trouble. Transformative action is needed. That is what we need since declaring a climate emergency. We are not getting transformative action. What we are getting is delays. An Bord Pleanála failed to look at the climate legislation. That is why its decision was quashed by agreement. It failed to look at the climate plan and it had to go back to basics, which is where the matter is now. I have great concerns that when it looks at the climate implications, there will be serious problems. We need a plan that is sustainable. One of the simplest ways of that part is to roll out light rail on the western side of the city.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Regardless of the Deputy’s own views, and she has taken a position on the ring road, one could discuss the delays and why it has taken so long. People have had their say and there are judicial reviews. That is the planning process. The Deputy mentioned the Department’s own study and the reality that, even if that road was built, it would be under pressure but Galway - the Deputy lives in Galway and I know it extremely well, too - is under ferocious pressure because that road is not built. I am a big supporter of public transport and rail in particular. The national development plan, which we have just concluded the review of, has allocated every one in four euro between now and 2030 towards transport and transport infrastructure and rail, light rail and heavy rail will be a critical part of that. Work is happening within Galway right now that I referenced in my initial response to the Deputy. I understand the need to look at the overall strategy on the basis of what An Coimisiún Pleanála's decision will be in relation to the ring road itself. Even those who may have opposed the road for what they believed were valid reasons would understand that it would be a critical if the road were not to be approved at the end at all. We would then have to look at other options. That is what the Deputy enunciated here this evening, too. I believe that Galway needs that ring road and Galway needs further public transport. It is a vibrant city, a city that I love, and the county too, but it has been choked by traffic. I have many friends there and a daughter who spends every year in the Gaeltacht in south Connemara, so I know it very well. It is about the overall strategy and understanding what the decision from An Coimisiún Pleanála will be. There is BusConnects Galway, the Dublin Road scheme and many other things from Moneenageisha right the way through, so there are good things happening but the decision of An Coimisiún Pleanála will be fundamental to the decision on how we move forward.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I think it is a false argument about the need for an outer bypass or not. This is about sustainable solutions and transformative action. Let us go back to why the An Bord Pleanála decision was quashed. There was an agreement to quash the decision because it had failed to consider the climate action plan. Imagine that it had failed to do that. What I am trying to get at here is because we put all our eggs in one basket, regardless of one’s view, let An Coimisiún Pleanála make its decision and let that go into operation one way or another. My difficulty is that this beautiful city has failed to roll out park-and-ride facilities 20 solid years after we put them in the development plan. We have failed to maximise school transport to lift the traffic off the road. We have failed to act on a feasibility study. It took us too long to do the feasibility study and now the Minister is telling me the feasibility study has gone into the future depending on a decision by An Coimisiún Pleanála. I do not think that is a transformative action. I think that is the same old thinking. I understand the Minister’s dilemma and what he is saying but that same dilemma has been put forward for 25 solid years where we are told we have to wait for the road. In the meantime, we let the traffic build up out of all proportion. The Department’s own report is telling us that it will be choked with traffic in the future again. A wise government would ask what transformative action is and how to lift the traffic off the road. The An Coimisiún Pleanála process could go on for years more. This issue has been ongoing since I became a councillor in 1999. The practical solutions have never been taken. I am asking the Minister how he can stand over a city that has failed to roll out the most basic solution to traffic congestion - park and ride - on the western side of the city and progress light rail?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I explained in my initial answer that the light rail feasibility study, as the Deputy knows, had been published. What I am trying to say is how all of that knits together. The road is an important part of it. A simple question that I could ask in countering what the Deputy said, and respecting the position she is taking, is whether the traffic situation in Galway would be better with an outer ring road. It would be, unquestionably. We want to get people out of cars, too. I am a supporter of light rail, heavy rail and public transport. We want to see it and we are seeing rail lines open across the country now and, building on the work of my predecessor, we intend to accelerate that.

I take the Deputy’s point in relation to park and ride. She has, to be fair, raised it on a number of occasions here before. Something I will be cognisant of is how in the interim the situation can be made better. However, I would earnestly hope that should a positive decision from An Coimisiún Pleanála be made then that decision is accepted and we can move on with it.

One of the reasons for the continued delay has been continued objection to the road. Deputy Connolly mentioned the reason the board turned it down. It was for climate reasons and that is fine. Deputy Connolly represents Galway West and knows the city better than me. I have a lot of friends in Galway and I speak to many people. Most people are very supportive of an outer ring road. Deputy Connolly is in Galway every day of the week. I am not there as frequently as she is but I am there quite often. Going down Lough Atalia Road, trying to get through Salthill on the way to south Connemara at any time during the day-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The question was about park and ride.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I have said I will take cognisance of this and, in fairness, Deputy Connolly has raised it previously. Certainly it is something on which I will revert with regard to what other measures can be taken in the interim. We are doing work on the commuter rail network as Deputy Connolly knows. Significant work is being done at Ceannt Station, Oranmore Station and other stations. I take Deputy Connolly's point on park and ride and I will revert to her on it.