James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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76. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the DART+ South West programme, which will service Celbridge. [10387/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The DART+ South West project on the Kildare rail line is one of five complementary projects under the DART+ programme for the extension and/or enhancement of the current DART system. The programme includes:

- DART+ West to Maynooth / M3 Parkway.

- DART+ South West to Hazelhatch & Celbridge

- DART+ Coastal North to Drogheda.

- DART+ Coastal South to Greystones.

- DART+ Fleet

The National Transport Authority (NTA), in collaboration with Iarnród Éireann, is progressing these projects which are at varying stages of planning and development, with DART+ Fleet and DART+ West being the most advanced. 

In December 2021, the Government approved the Preliminary Business Case for the overall DART+ Programme under Decision Gate 1 of the Public Spending Code.This decision also granted Decision Gate 1 approval under the Code to DART+ West which allowed the project to enter the statutory planning process.  The Railway Order for DART+ West was submitted to An Bord Pleanála in July 2022.

Decision Gate 3 approval by Government of the DART+ Fleet framework agreement between Iarnród Éireann and Alstom in December 2021 permitted the purchase of 95 DART carriages, for entry into service in 2025. On 29 November 2022, the Government approved a second purchase of fleet under the framework agreement, which will see a further 90 new battery-electric multiple units enter service in 2026.

The next element of the DART+ programme is the DART+ South West project and I intend to bring an updated Preliminary Business Case in respect of the project to Government next month for Decision Gate 1 approval under the Public Spending Code.  This will enable the DART+ South West project to enter the statutory planning process through the submission of a Railway Order Application to An Bord Pleanála.