Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The delivery of the rail line to Navan has been debated for more than 20 years. Since the opening of phase 1 in 2010 by the then Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey, the completion of the line from Dunboyne to Navan has fallen off the agenda, including the national development plan, NDP. However, there is reason to have great optimism at this very moment because we have the coming together of the review of the NDP and, critically, the review by the National Transport Authority, NTA, of the transport strategy for the greater Dublin area. Key to the NTA review is the fact that the Navan element was analysed on an evidence basis. This is important if it is to become part of the NDP. I am hopeful that, when presented to the Minister, the NTA's review of its many projects will be favourable and that we will then see him ensuring that this project is included in the plan, but time is key because the two reviews are beginning to align at this very moment.

We need a firm financial commitment towards the expediting of this infrastructure. When I raised this issue with the Minister in the Chamber, he spoke of the need for positive statements from Meath County Council as the lead planning authority. From a strategic planning point of view, the council's work to demonstrate the population growth in the urban centre of Navan and along the designated route has been exemplary. It has been the essence of good planning in terms of creating centralised growth centres with good public transport hubs to provide people with easy access to their work or education in Dublin city centre.

I am sure the Minister of State will refer to the Department's need to decarbonise and the sustainable mobility of people. In July 2017, its economic and financial evaluation unit published a report that estimated the cost of aggravated congestion across Ireland's transport system and how it would grow without intervention in the coming decades. Its analysis suggested that the cost of time lost due to aggravated congestion in the base year of 2012 was nearly €500 million and predicted an increase to €2 billion by 2033. That is happening in County Meath right now. Ours is the only county in the greater Dublin area without rail connectivity to its capital town. What has been missing over the past decade has been the political will to make this happen.

When the report lands on the Minister's desk, I am confident that the scoring matrix used by the NTA that would be required to recommend the line to Navan will stack up because of the critical analysis of population growth undertaken by Meath County Council. However, this Commencement matter is not just about the analytics; it is also about the human side. Significant research was done through interviewing people. Behaviour & Attitudes was engaged to conduct field research on more than 3,000 citizens and a further online poll of 8,000 citizens. Their testimonies about the detrimental effects on their family lives were harrowing.

I hope that the Minister of State will make a positive statement about ensuring this line is be included in the NDP review.