Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

320. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s work to support the decarbonisation of public local bus routes, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55479/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As Minister for Transport, one of the key priorities under Ireland’s EU Just Transition Fund Programme is to provide former peat communities with smart and sustainable mobility options to enable them to benefit directly from the green transition which is targeted at the wider Midlands Region.

The territory includes counties Laois, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon, Westmeath, as well as the municipal districts of Ballinasloe (Galway), Carrick on Suir, Thurles (Tipperary), Athy, and Clane-Maynooth (Kildare).

The Department is currently focussing on exploring two Public Transport enhancements, with the National Transport Authority (NTA) leading on the operational elements:

• Decarbonisation of a public local rural bus route including scoping, installation of electric charging points, and purchase of electric buses - (also Action JM/25/6 from the Climate Action Plan 2025); and
• Support to private bus operators in the territory to move to electric vehicles including consultancy support and support for specific aspect of the electrification upgrade.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

321. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s work to support the decarbonisation of the fleet of private bus operators, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55480/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As Minister for Transport, one of the key priorities under Ireland’s EU Just Transition Fund Programme is to provide former peat communities with smart and sustainable mobility options to enable them to benefit directly from the green transition which is targeted at the wider Midlands Region.

The territory includes counties Laois, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon, Westmeath, as well as the municipal districts of Ballinasloe (Galway), Carrick on Suir, Thurles (Tipperary), Athy, and Clane-Maynooth (Kildare).

The Department is currently focussing on exploring two Public Transport enhancements:

• Decarbonisation of public local rural bus route(s) including scoping, installation of electric charging points, and purchase of electric buses, and
• Support to private bus operators in the territory to move to electric vehicles including consultancy support and support for specific aspect of the electrification upgrade - Action JM25/7 of the Climate Action Plan.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

322. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s finalisation of the recalibrated Transport Decarbonisation Policy Pathway, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55481/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department has been working closely with the National Transport Authority (NTA) to deliver the Corrective Actions Modelling Project, the aims of which are threefold:

1. Identify potential pathways to correct the trajectory of carbon emissions from the transport sector out to 2030.

2. Identify whether any additional measures, above and beyond those required to keep the transport sector within its sectoral emissions ceilings, could be proposed to deliver currently unallocated savings for carbon budget period 2 (2026-2030).

3. Identify decarbonisation interventions and policy pathways that will continue to deliver sustained and accelerated emissions abatement beyond 2030 into Carbon Budget 3.

The detailed scope of this project was agreed between my Department and the NTA in late 2024 and there has been extensive engagement in 2025 with stakeholders to develop and define emissions abatement measures. The NTA’s models, including the Regional Modelling System and the Carbon Forecasting Tool, are being used to test new and existing AVOID – SHIFT – IMPROVE measures under three different scenarios for their potential impact on carbon emissions in the transport sector out to 2030 and 2035. A socioeconomic assessment is also underway alongside the scenario modelling work to evaluate the distributional, social and economic impacts of measures to ensure a just transition.

The Corrective Actions Modelling Project will inform future iterations of the Climate Action Plan and wider policy initiatives within the transport decarbonisation domain.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

323. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s development of the new Sustainability Mobility Policy Action Plan for 2026 and 2030, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55482/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy is aware, the National Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP) sets out a strategic framework to 2030 for promoting greater levels of walking, cycling, and public transport, in support of climate, health, and accessibility goals. The SMP was published in 2022 and was accompanied by a SMP Action Plan 2022-2025. A Leadership Group, which oversees the implementation of this Plan, provides annual updates on its progress - these can be found at .

As the existing SMP Action Plan is due to expire at the end of this year, my Department is currently developing a successor Action Plan to cover the period 2026 – 2030, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and the Programme for Government 2025.

I'm happy to report that, from early 2025, extensive stakeholder engagement has taken place to inform the shape of this new Action Plan. Most prominently, a series of National Sustainable Mobility Forum events were held in May. These comprised four events, two in Dublin and Galway and two online, which brought together a wide range of stakeholders including Government Departments, transport agencies, public transport operators, local authorities, shared mobility providers, academia, business, Disabled People’s Organisations, transport advocacy groups, the health sector and Public Participation Networks. The insights gathered were set out in the published report, available at , which is playing a central role in shaping the new Action Plan.

Following the recent review of the National Development Plan, my Department is currently preparing a sectoral investment plan for transport, which will outline the key projects to be delivered between 2026 and 2030. To ensure that the next SMP Action Plan is fully aligned with capital investment priorities and broader Government commitments, the timeline for delivery of the Action Plan has been adjusted. It is now intended that a draft SMP Action Plan 2026–2030 will be submitted to the above Leadership Group for consideration at its quarterly meeting in January 2026, with the expectation that the finalised Action Plan will be published shortly thereafter following the approval of Government.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

324. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s work on the All-Island Strategic Rail Review and in choosing the projects that are due to be delivered by 2035, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55483/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy may be aware, the All-Island Strategic Rail Review was undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Following two public consultations, the Review’s Final Report was published in July 2024.

The Review's Final Report sets out 32 strategic recommendations to enhance and expand the rail system in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 2050, aligning with net carbon zero commitments in both jurisdictions. The recommendations seek to transform the quality of the rail system to the benefit of passengers and wider society on the island, through additional track capacity, electrification, increased speeds, higher service frequencies and new routes.

Assisted by the European Investment Bank (EIB) Advisory Services, the Department of Transport and Department for Infrastructure, and agencies across the island, are working to progress the Report’s recommendations in the years ahead. As part of this work, a Project Prioritisation Strategy, which considers how best to optimise the sequencing and implementation of the Review recommendations, including both short-term interventions and longer-term projects, is at an advanced stage of preparation and is planned for publication later this year.

Moreover, the recently concluded review of the National Development Plan has confirmed the Department of Transport’s annual capital allocations from 2026 to 2030. The Department is currently reviewing key programmes and projects in the transport sector in the context of that capital funding envelope, including plans for investment in the rail network, and a decision on a programme of delivery within the available funding will be made in the coming months.

It should also be noted that individual programmes and projects referred to within the Rail Review will be advanced subject to funding and relevant approvals.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

325. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s work on the advancement of the Enterprise Replacement Fleet project, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55484/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy may be aware, the Enterprise rail service is the only cross-border rail service on the island of Ireland. It is a well-known symbol of North-South cooperation and provides an important public transport link operating between Dublin and Belfast.

In October 2024, the Enterprise moved to a near hourly service supported by funding provided by the Shared Island Fund. The Enterprise now operates 15 services in each direction between Dublin to Belfast from Mondays to Saturdays, with eight return services on Sundays.

The Enterprise Fleet Replacement Programme will replace the current rolling stock of four diesel trains with a more sustainable fleet of eight trains. This programme is progressing as the current Enterprise rail fleet will reach the end of its standard design life later this decade. In addition to this, the current frequency of Enterprise service since October 2024 is only made possible by augmenting the four current Enterprise train sets with two non-Enterprise sets on a temporary basis.

Iarnród Éireann and Translink Northern Ireland Railways have secured approval in principle for funding of €165 million for the Enterprise Fleet Replacement Programme under the PEACEPLUS cross-border EU programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), a North South Implementation Body established under the Good Friday Agreement. The balance of funding for the programme will be provided jointly through the Department of Transport and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland on a 50:50 basis.

The procurement process for this project is now nearing completion, and Iarnród Éireann and Translink have a well-developed business case. The contract for the manufacturing of the new Enterprise fleet is expected to be awarded in the near future, subject to final funding approval from the Northern Ireland Executive, the SEUPB, and subject to approval from the Government of Ireland at Approval Gate 3 of the Infrastructure Guidelines.

The first of the new Enterprise trains are expected to be delivered by 2029. They will then need to undergo testing to ensure they meet the required safety and operational standards before they can be used by passengers. The Enterprise Fleet Replacement Programme will reduce the intercity journey time of the route to less than two hours and should improve the timetable to a typical hourly frequency of 16 return services.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

326. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s review of the National Ports Policy, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55485/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department plans to conduct a public consultation on a draft version of the revised National Ports Policy in Q4 2025, subject to the completion of the relevant associated environmental assessment of the draft document. This second public consultation will build on the thematic issues paper, published in October 2023, to which over 70 responses were received and assessed by Department's officials. Following the first public consultation on the issues paper and consideration of the responses received from stakeholders, the Irish Maritime Development Office was commissioned to carry out further research on national port capacity post-2040, which research is presently being reviewed.

Once the public consultation on the draft revision to the National Ports Policy is launched in Q4 2025, I look forward to the same level of stakeholder engagement with this second public consultation as occurred with the first.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

327. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s work to deliver the destination charge point scheme, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55486/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan was launched in April 2025.

Developed by Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), the plan sets targets and strategies for local authorities (LA) to drive EV infrastructure development at destination and neighbourhood locations, with government support.

This is in alignment with both national and EU climate goals, helping to cut emissions and move towards a fully decarbonised transport sector by 2050.

Led by local authorities, the Regional and Local Plan ensures a cohesive and standardised approach, which will promote a unified and efficient roll out of charging infrastructure and facilitate the equitable transition to EVs.

This is another significant step in the ongoing roll out of publicly accessible charge points. The plan will sit alongside the existing National Road EV Charging Plan, En-route Charging Schemes, and of course the widespread use of home charging which will remain the best and most efficient way to roll out EV charging for all.

As we look to roll out the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan, Local Authorities have grouped into 10 regional and city groups to manage the development of Local EV Network Plans. Some of these plan are already complete and they have moved to procure and roll out EV charging infrastructure.

ZEVI is supporting Local Authorities by funding dedicated EV charging infrastructure officers in each Local Authority, to co-ordinate and lead on the roll out of charging infrastructure. While strategies are being finalised, ZEVI is funding pilot infrastructure projects in a number of Local Authorities, confirming the commitment for LA roll-out.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

328. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s work on the roll-out of key elements of electric vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55487/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network over the coming years. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles.

While over 80% of EV charging is expected to happen at home, which will address most users charging needs, there is an absolute need for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible.

The EV Charging infrastructure Strategy 2022-2025 outlines the need for a National EV Charging Network Plan to define the requirements for publicly accessible charging, including motorway/en-route high-powered charging, destination charging and residential neighbourhood charging.

The first element of the National EV charging Network Plan is the National Road Network EV Charging Plan, was published in May 2024. It sets out how Government will, working with private industry, deliver on these ambitious EV charging targets along the motorway and primary road network in Ireland.

The second element of this plan, the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan, was published in April 2025. It provides a pathway for the accelerated delivery of public EV charging infrastructure in cities, towns and villages across Ireland with the focus on neighbourhood and destination charging.

These documents were complemented by the publishing of the Universal Design Guidelines for EV Charging Infrastructure (2024) which includes recommendations on the design, placement and information provision of infrastructure.

The existing iteration of the overarching EV Infrastructure Charging Strategy runs until the end of 2025. Work has commenced this year on the development of a new national EV Infrastructure Strategy to cover the period 2026 – 2028, including a significant stakeholder engagement event earlier this year.

Quarterly progress reports are compiled and submitted to the Department of An Taoiseach at the end of each quarter.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

329. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on his Department’s work on the procurement strategy for the Shared Island Fund Eastern Green Hydrogen Corridor Demonstrator Project, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55488/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Following completion of the of a project under the Shared Island Initiative to develop a hydrogen refuelling corridor on the island of Ireland between Dublin and Belfast, Phase III is in progress. The contract for the provision of two business cases, including a detailed procurement strategy for two hydrogen refuelling stations (one in Belfast and one in Dublin) was awarded in August 2025, following an open tender process in compliance with public procurement guidelines.

While commencement of the procurement process was delayed to allow time for the transition of responsibility for the project in Northern Ireland from the Department for the Economy (NI) to the Department for Infrastructure (NI), work is now underway and the Department of Transport is engaging closely with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, as well as the steering group and service provider.

The contract is due for completion in April 2026 with completion of a procurement strategy, along with the preliminary business case for Ireland and outline business case for Northern Ireland. At that point, my Department will engage with the Department of the Taoiseach to assess the potential next steps for delivery of a hydrogen refuelling station in Ireland.