Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for choosing this Commencement matter this morning. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, to the Chamber to discuss a Galway project. It is great to have a Galway Minister of State who also has a huge interest in rail. Light rail for Galway is a concept that first emerged in the 1970s when the then Chamber of Commerce visited Freiburg in Germany to see how their system served that city. Each decade since there have been renewed calls for a light rail system to service the city and suburbs. The present Gluas group, all volunteers, have campaigned very successfully to a point where there was almost unanimous support among communities, businesses and institutions for a Galway light rail system. The Gluas group recently met groups from the city and county councils and also presented to Oireachtas Members here in the audiovisual room. I acknowledge my colleague Deputy Catherine Connolly for facilitating that, and the work done by a former Member of this House, Pauline O'Reilly, in supporting and pushing this project.

There has been overwhelming support for the project. Galway city was one of the worst traffic-congested cities in Europe in 2024. It was the ninth worst. There are costs to traffic congestion. It affects people's lives and their well-being. There are losses to businesses, along with frustrations and all of that. There are also decisions to avoid the city for investment, which is another worrying possibility. They are huge costs. The delays on the decision around the Galway city ring road project only add to the level of frustration and the missed opportunities for the city and the citizens of Galway.

I do not have to tell the Minister of State that Galway is geographically ideal from a light rail point of view. Squeezed as it is between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay it has developed into a long narrow strip from Doughiska to Barna. If we consider the possibilities of expansion in Ardaun and Garraun eastwards towards Oranmore and the expansion of Knocknacarra and Barna to the west, this layout is ideal for a light rail system that would create a public transport spine for the greater Galway area, accessible to the maximum number of people, and connectivity to the industrial centre east of the city and the residential suburbs to the west. There are two universities in the city and four hospitals, all of which would be immediately adjacent to an east-west Gluas line, giving easy access and reducing the need for parking spaces at all sites, which is a perennial problem.

Gluas, together with a fully reopened western rail corridor, would give us a sustainable public transport system that would future-proof the city and its environs for generations to come. Galway city's population is approaching 90,000 and its immediate environs push this to well past 100,000. The projections are that it will meet 140,000 over the next ten to 15 years. We need to look to the future of Galway city. There is an opportunity in the national development plan, which is forthcoming. I would like to see this project funded in terms of the next stage. The feasibility report has been published. The next stage will be the emerging preferred route design and the engagement and consultation that goes with this. That needs to be funded in the national development plan. As I said, this is not an either-or situation. I support this project but it does not mean I do not support the Galway city ring road, which of course I do, or the western rail corridor, the reopening of which I have been a long-time supporter of and advocate for.

I look forward to the Minister of State's response because I know he has an interest in rail due to his advocacy for the western rail corridor. I believe the Gluas project would be a great addition and would provide the connectivity to the existing rail line in the city.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I thank Senator Kyne for putting forward this very important topic. Being a Galway man, I understand the problems we have with traffic in Galway city, which affects the entire region to say the least. At the outset I must state that any proposals for Gluas or light rail for Galway are intrinsically linked to the development of the Galway metropolitan area transport strategy. We will call this GMATS from now on rather than reading it all out again. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has commenced the updating of the Galway transport strategy, which was adopted in 2016. The updated GMATS is being developed in conjunction with Galway city and county council. The GMATS will provide a long-term strategic plan framework for the delivery of transport and the integrated development of transport infrastructure and services in the Galway metropolitan area. It would align with all of the existing national, regional and local policy and guidance.

As part of this process, and in addition to the need for a strategic roads feasibility study, the NTA identified the requirement for a light rail feasibility study to better understand the general feasibility for light rail in the Galway metropolitan area, and to investigate potential indicative alignments. The final report of this study was published on 30 October 2024 for information and this will now form part of the analysis used to inform the development of the GMATS, alongside recommendations for active travel, bus services, rail, roads and demand management measures. The light rail feasibility study is not intended to specifically identify a preferred alignment of a light rail corridor in the city. Instead, the final report explores key issues and potential feasibility. The important thing is that this feasibility study has shown that there could, under the right conditions, be a case for developing a light rail system in Galway. The analysis, presented in the final report, identified an east-west corridor through the city, which would be likely to have the strongest potential for light rail. However, the route options in the study are preliminary, and indicative by design, and would need to be explored further in line with the appropriate transport scheme development and appraisal guidance, following any decision to further progress light rail for the city.

In addition to examining potential alignment options, the feasibility study explored the technical parameters of light rail in terms of the capacity of different types of vehicles, typical dimensions, and infrastructure requirements.There are also emerging developments in the sector, including more innovative forms of very light rail, vLRT. These emerging technologies were also considered in the final report.

The findings from this study, along with a strategic roads feasibility study, will inform the development of GMATS, which will undergo full environmental assessment and public consultation. This comprehensive, multimodal approach aims to address Galway's transport needs holistically rather than through the narrow prism of one specific mode.

At this stage, it is not considered appropriate to attempt to forecast the future costs, due to uncertainties about when the project would be delivered and uncertainties about future construction price inflation.

As the Senator will be aware, in January 2023, the High Court remitted the application for approval of the N6 Galway city ring road to An Coimisiún Pleanála, formerly An Bord Pleanála, for further consideration. An Coimisiún Pleanála has asked Galway County Council to provide additional information in relation to the planning consent application for the ring road and this information was submitted on 15 April 2025.

The NTA considers it appropriate to await An Coimisiún Pleanála's determination on the resubmitted N6 Galway ring road application. The NTA will then review the timeline and publication date for the GMATS when this determination has been made. Implementation of any recommendations identified in the strategy will be subject to the availability of funding and Government approval. In the meantime, implementation will continue on the current Galway transport strategy. A significant amount of planning and design has already taken place, which will enable construction early in the coming years across active travel, bus and rail-related projects including, importantly, on Galway BusConnects, the ongoing redevelopment of Ceannt Station and the improvements planned for Oranmore station and track infrastructure. Also, the western rail corridor, as the Senator mentioned, between Athenry and Claremorris will be considered in the context of the implementation of the all-island rail review.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive response. I note the comments of the NTA that it is appropriate to wait for An Coimisiún Pleanála's determination on the Galway city ring road. The concern is that it will be possibly late next year when a decision will be made. The Galway city ring road, if it has to go some sort of oral hearing, may take that long and then there may be court challenges. What determination is the NTA waiting for? Is it waiting for the final determination from the courts or are they waiting for the determination from An Coimisiún Pleanála only, because we will be losing time in that regard? What the Gluas group has asked for is to allow this to progress to the emerging preferred route status and to allow for funding in the national development plan or, indeed, if it was forthcoming, through the Department without going through the national development plan protocol.

This is a concept that, I am sure, the Minister of State would be supportive of. All of it is subject to Government approval and funding.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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First, I would say it is to await the outcome of the An Coimisiún Pleanála decision, not to wait to see where it goes after that. Hopefully, it will not go anywhere other than to construction. We all know that the problem has been that the outer ring road, by its nature, is a big project but it is holding up other decisions to be made about the city. That is the biggest consideration we have at present and we need to move along with that.

I met with the Gluas group and was impressed with its professional approach to trying to put this project onto the ground in Galway. I will be working with the group on that. The NTA is saying it will not finish out the GMATS until An Coimisiún Pleanála makes its decision and then we will have the full picture. I am looking forward to that.

I have been engaging with my officials about Galway in general and about the specifics of this light rail. We will continue to work on it and see what we can achieve for it in the short term as well as the long term.