James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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153. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if in the context of the almost 10,000 extra people who will soon live in the Poolbeg glass bottle site development, if he will support the acceleration of the extension of the Luas red line to Poolbeg as part of the NDP review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9173/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may 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 (GDA) 2022-2042. Its development and delivery is planned within the 2037-2042 timeframe.

The proposed Luas red line extension to Poolbeg is subject to the assessment of forecast travel demand arising out of development patterns in the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) and environs. The Poolbeg SDZ, where the site the Deputy references is located, and the potential further growth in the area are highlighted in the Strategy. The NTA are cognisant that an increased demand for travel from Poolbeg to the city will need to be catered for in the coming years.

The NTA has the statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the GDA. I intend to engage closely with the NTA in considering the needs of new or accelerated potential transport projects in the GDA as part of the National Development Plan (NDP) review. Another key consideration I will have, as Minister for Transport, is the capacity of the NDP funding envelope to deliver on existing and strategically important transport infrastructure commitments, and meet the funding needs of new or accelerated potential projects and programmes.