James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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167. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 249 of 5 February 2025, if he will ask the NTA to provide a preliminary written view or report on the possible acceleration of planning and design of the extension of the Luas to Poolbeg, in the context of the new Programme for Government’s commitment to review and enhancing the National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7100/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the development of a Luas red line extension to serve Poolbeg is currently one of the longer-term proposals in the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2042, for development and delivery within the 2037-2042 timeframe. The Strategy states that the proposed Luas extension to Poolbeg is subject to the assessment of forecast travel demand arising out of development patterns in the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone and environs.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is the Sponsoring Agency for the proposed Luas to Poolbeg project and the NTA is the day-to-day Approving Authority. I understand that the NTA has instructed TII to undertake a pre-feasibility analysis, including updated demand modelling, in order to assess the initial feasibility of Luas Poolbeg from a passenger demand viewpoint, in line with the Strategy's objective. This study is expected to be complete in the coming months.

Given the NTA’s statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, I, as Minister for Transport, intend to engage closely with the NTA in considering the needs of new or accelerated potential projects and programmes as part of the National Development Plan (NDP) review which is expected to occur this year. I will be in a better position to consider the Luas Poolbeg project at that stage.