Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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70. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of services scheduled on a route per month (details supplied), the number of services cancelled, per month, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67367/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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71. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the identification of adjustments to a route timetable (details provided); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67368/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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72. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the punctuality of a route (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67369/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 70, 71 and 72 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Dublin Bus. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the strategies in place to ensure bus and LUAS services in the greater Dublin area are scaled appropriately to accommodate projected population growth. [67396/25]

Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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75. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the infrastructure investments which are planned or underway to support increased public transport demand arising from population growth in Dublin suburbs and surrounding areas. [67398/25]

Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the integration of bus and LUAS services in expanding suburban areas, including plans for new routes, extensions or feeder service enhancements. [67400/25]

Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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79. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there are planned policy or funding adjustments aimed at addressing capacity challenges caused by rapid population increases in the Dublin suburban areas. [67402/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 75, 77 and 79 together.

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 in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), which includes MetroLink, BusConnects, Luas and DART.

The NTA published the Transport Strategy for the GDA 2022-2042 in January 2023. This strategy sets out a statutory framework for transport investment across the region over a 20-year period and provides a clear statement of transport planning policy for the GDA. There are a number of infrastructure investments which are planned or underway to support increased public transport demand across the GDA.

As the Deputy will be aware, MetroLink will be a fully segregated and mostly underground new railway line between Swords and Dublin City Centre, the first of its kind in Ireland. It is a key project under the National Development Plan. MetroLink will be able to carry a peak capacity of 20,000 passengers per hour per direction in the future.

A significant milestone in the progression of the MetroLink project was cleared in July 2022, when the Minister for Transport secured approval for the project from the Cabinet under Decision Gate 1 of the then-Public Spending Code. This approval enabled the project to move to the planning application stage, and in September 2022 Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) submitted a Railway Order application to An Coimisiún Pleanála.

An Coimisiún Pleanála held an Oral Hearing in relation to MetroLink in February/March 2024. TII engaged constructively with all parties as part of the Oral Hearing. Following the Oral Hearing, An Coimisiún Pleanála held an additional round of public consultation from 19th August to 8th October 2024. An Coimisiún Pleanála published its decision to grant the MetroLink Railway Order on 2nd October 2025.

A Detailed Project Brief and Procurement Strategy will be prepared for consideration at Approval Gate 2, in line with the Infrastructure Guidelines, assuming no successful legal challenge to An Coimisiún Pleanála's decision.

Dependent on the outcome of the planning process, construction of MetroLink is earmarked to commence over the coming years with a view to operation in the 2030s.

BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system in Ireland, providing better bus services across five cities: Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick. It is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the state and is managed by the NTA. The aim of the network is to improve the existing Transport for Ireland system through enhanced services with high frequency spines and new local, Orbital and Radial routes.

In relation to BusConnects Dublin, the first seven phases of new bus routes as part of the bus network redesign have rolled out since 2021. The NTA rolled out F-Spine (Finglas to Tallaght) in October 2025. This roll-out will continue incrementally, subject to operation readiness and funding availability.

The key infrastructure complement on BusConnects Dublin are the Core Bus Corridors Schemes. The completion of these schemes will see the construction of approximately 230km of designated bus lanes and 200km of cycle lanes. An Coimisiún Pleanála has approved all 12 Core Bus Corridor planning applications. However, legal proceedings are ongoing in relation to seven schemes.

The NTA awarded the construction contract for the first such scheme, Liffey Valley to City Centre, in July 2025, with construction to begin in December of this year. In October, Government approved the second scheme, Ballymun-Finglas to City Centre, which is expected to enter construction in 2026.

In relation to Luas, in October 2024, the Government gave its consent to the Luas Finglas project at Approval Gate 1 in line with the Infrastructure Guidelines. This has allowed the project to enter the statutory planning process. TII submitted a Railway Order Application to An Bord Pleanála in November 2024. Public submissions closed on 20 January 2025.

An Coimisiún Pleanála published its decision to grant the Luas Finglas Railway Order in October 2025. The project will now move toward procurement, assuming there are no successful legal challenges to An Coimisiún Pleanála’s decision.

The DART+ programme comprises five different projects in and around the GDA, extending the existing network from the City Centre to Maynooth, M3 Parkway, Hazelhatch & Celbridge and Drogheda, and will improve current DART services from the City Centre to Greystones. The programme will triple the length of the electrified network and will double city centre capacity from 26,000 passengers per hour per direction to 52,000 during peak hours. An Coimisiún Pleanála granted conditional planning approval for DART+ West in July 2024, and full planning approval for DART+ South West (November 2024) and DART+ Costal North (August 2025). There is also an ongoing Judicial Review in relation to DART+ Coastal North. The first order for the purchase of 95 additional DART carriages (largely battery-electric with some electric units) are currently undergoing certification and safety testing. It is intended that the new battery-electric sets will be initially deployed on the Northern Commuter Line serving Dublin to/from Drogheda from 2027. Following the initial deployment of new battery-electric carriages on the Northern line, the NTA also plans to extend the DART to Wicklow using battery technology.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.