Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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97. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current plans to enhance Dublin city’s rail network, Dart, Arrow and Luas included; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6765/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware a number of important projects are underway to enhance Dublin's heavy and light rail networks.

There has recently been good progress in relation to the DART+ Programme, which is a flagship plan to double rail passenger capacity for Dublin city centre to 52,000 each way and triple the overhead electrification to approximately 150km. Last year, conditional planning approval for the DART+ West project and full planning approval for the DART+ South West project was granted from An Bord Pleanála. This includes upgrades related to the Kildare suburban service, previously referred to as Arrow. Work is now progressing with a view to moving these projects into procurement and thereafter into the construction stage in the coming years.

In addition, as part of the DART+ Programme, a planning application was lodged for DART+ Coastal North in July last year. It is on this Northern route from Dublin to Drogheda that the public will get to experience the first element of the DART+ Programme, when new battery-electric carriages, which are currently undergoing testing, enter service next year. I look forward to this major boost in Dublin's DART services.

The plans to enhance the Luas network are outlined in the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042, which was published by the National Transport Authority in January 2023. Extensions to the existing Luas network to Finglas, Lucan and Bray are proposed for delivery in the medium-term and an extension to Poolbeg is suggested for delivery in the longer-term.

The most advanced of these schemes is Luas Finglas, with Transport Infrastructure Ireland submitting a planning application to An Bord Pleanála in November 2024, on which we await a decision.

I look forward to progressing these projects as we strive to improve public transport for passengers and wider society during the term of this Government.