Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I too offer my condolences to Senator Hoey and her family at the very sad time of the passing of her dad. May he rest in peace.

Transport has featured in the contributions of many speakers today but I must return to the subject. Investment in public transportation is of great importance to us as a society and as an economy, and in achieving our climate action targets. We all want to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. I want to talk about two projects in particular: MetroLink and DART+. Between them, more than €5 billion of public money will be invested in these massive infrastructure projects. With regard to MetroLink, there have been unsubstantiated reports in the media which need to be responded to. I ask that the Deputy Leader write to the Minister for Transport and ask him to come to this House and update us on MetroLink.

The DART+ West upgrade is part of the overall upgrade to DART services and the main rail lines from Drogheda, Celbridge and Maynooth. In my own constituency of Dublin Central, the Maynooth line, which runs from the docklands out to Maynooth, is due for an upgrade. That is a really important public transport service that needs to be upgraded. We need more frequent, more efficient and more affordable public transport. Part of the upgrade proposes to compulsorily purchase the Ashtown Stables. Those stables have been in family ownership for decades. Young children and adults from Cabra, Drumcondra, Phibsborough, the Navan Road, Castleknock and all of the surrounding areas have benefited, and do benefit, from those horse riding stables. Not only do they provide an educational and cultural activity within the city, but they are also a tourist attraction. Irish Rail has been conducting a non-statutory public consultation that has failed to engage properly with the owners of the stables. It needs to meet with them. I have written to the CEO of Irish Rail. I ask the Deputy Leader to write to the CEO of Irish Rail and to ask him to meet with the family and to engage constructively. We need the upgrade of the public transport system but we also need to protect our vital amenities within the community.