Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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155. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the coordinated actions that are being taken between his Department, the Department of the Climate, Energy and the Environment, and EirGrid to ensure that energy infrastructure keeps pace with the electrification of public transport in the greater Dublin area and beyond; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34072/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and the other regional cities in the country.

The Government is committed to the decarbonisation of the public transport sector in line with the Climate Action Plan. This will necessitate accelerating the electrification of the transport system, and the implementation of these changes are now well under way.

Charging points in bus depots and electric buses have started rolling out in recent years. There are over 100 double-deck electric buses in service in Dublin. No new diesel-only buses have been purchased for urban public service obligation bus fleets since July 2019, as set out in the National Development Plan 2018-2027. Further electric buses will continue to roll out on an incremental basis over the coming years

The DART+ programme will double the capacity and triple the electrification of the existing DART network. Battery-electric carriages from the first order of 95 carriages have started arriving into Ireland as part of the DART+ Fleet Project. They are now undergoing testing, and are expected to be deployed on the Northern Commuter Line serving Dublin to/from Drogheda from next year. Another programme, the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme, is also being progressed and this will help enable the future growth and electrification of the Cork rail network.

In addition to this, the NTA’s Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2042 proposes the development of a number of extensions to the current electrified Luas Network in the Greater Dublin Area, and an emerging preferred route for a Luas line in Cork recently underwent a public consultation.

Noting the NTA's responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the GDA and the regional cities, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.