Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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93. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding provided in 2023, 2024 and 2025 to purchase extra LUAS carriages; and when these new carriages will come into operation, in tabular form. [20506/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The funding allocation for B5 Public Transport Investment for 2023 is €876.5m and is available to view on gov.ie - The Revised Estimates Volumes for the Public Service (www.gov.ie).

Capital funding in 2023 is allocated to the following programmes: accessibility retrofit programme; bus programme; heavy rail investment; infrastructure manager multi-annual contract (heavy rail); light rail (Luas and Metro); and the ticketing and technology programme. The allocations are agreed with the relevant agencies at the beginning of the year but are subject to change.

The National Development Plan 2021 - 2030 indicates total funding to the Department of Transport for 2024 and 2025 as follows:

The allocation for B5 Public Transport Investment for the years 2024 and 2025 will be decided during the annual Estimates process and published in the Revised Estimates Volumes for each year.

With regard to light rail, there is no allocation in 2023 for the purchase of new Luas carriages. The Green Line Capacity Enhancement project, which was completed in 2021, provided eight additional trams for the Green Line fleet and extended 26 existing trams from 43 metres to 55 metres, adding approximately 30% additional capacity to the route.