Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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27. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when approval will be given to Iarnród Éireann to purchase new rolling stock in view of the critical shortage of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48010/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Government recently approved for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Iarnród Éireann to proceed with the proposed purchase of 41 additional InterCity Railcars to increase capacity on the rail network.  This additional stock will cost approximately €150 million and is expected to commence entry into service by end 2021.

The Deputy may also be interested that, in May this year, the NTA and Iarnród Éireann commenced pre-qualifying in relation to a 10-year procurement framework for a minimum of 300 electric and battery-electric units with the potential for that to increase to 600 over the life of the procurement framework. This proposals forms part of the DART Expansion Programme and I expect to receive a business case in relation to the overall programme next year.