The lack of public transport is one of the major issues that affects the people in my constituency and beyond. There is a need to increase the capacity on the northern line and provide a rail link or metro to Dublin Airport and Swords.
Dublin is the only European capital without a direct rail network to its main airport. In view of this, and given the projected population increase to the airport and other related traffic issues, it is imperative that the metro line proposal be included in the Minister's ten year transport plans being finalised at present.
I hear on the grapevine that the extension of the metro to Swords will not be included in phase one. Such a decision would be a disaster and commuters bringing their cars to Dublin Airport to access the metro to the city centre would infinitely worsen the already chaotic situation. It would be impossible to get to or from the airport and the area would become gridlocked. Neither would it make economic sense as a successful metro requires a viable adjacent catchment area. Such an area is available in Swords, which now has a population of 30,000 people. It is estimated that the cost of the extension to Swords would be approximately €300 million. Fingal Country Council could come up with €150 million through development levies and available detailed proposals outline stations at Airside, Pavillions, Seatown, Fingallions, Lissenhall and park and ride facilities. It would be a monumental disaster if the Government decides not to proceed with the metro or extend it to Swords.
Significant development is taking place along the rail network from Balbriggan, Skerries, Lusk and Rush, Donabate, Malahide and Portmarnock on the clear understanding that necessary public transport infrastructures will be in place. Unfortunately that is not the case. We appreciate that Irish Rail was in a position to increase the capacity at morning and evening peak periods by almost 40% last year due to the lengthening of the Arrow trains from six to eight carriages. The situation is once again reaching crisis proportions with no real improvements pending until 2009 at the earliest depending on whether the Government gets its act together which it has not done to date.
I read with interest views expressed by my constituency colleagues, Deputies Sargent and Glennon. It is imperative that elected members be up-front and honest with their electorate. Deputy Glennon calls on the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, to commit to the extension of the DART to north Fingal no later than the end of 2006. Deputy Sargent recommends that the proposed metro be extended from Swords to Donabate. Both of these objectives are laudable and can hopefully be implemented in the long term. Hard pressed and stressed rail commuters deserve better. Regardless of the long-term objectives of these promises, they would not provide one additional seat for commuters in the short term.
The existing rail network has severe limitations that affect the capacity to extend the service. There is one line to the city centre. The cross line from Connolly to Pearse stations is operating at full capacity with 12 trains per hour. It is therefore not possible to provide more frequent services at peak periods. The DART upgrade project, which involves the upgrading of signalling in the city centre, will result in an increase in the number of trains from 12 to 16 per hour, whenever that comes about. However, that will only provide one additional train on the northern route, which is insufficient.
All the reports available to me indicate that the only way forward is the construction of a new station at the docklands, which in any event will be part of Iarnród Éireann's exciting proposals for an interconnector. This new station would initially be linked to the Maynooth-Kildare line and thus provide additional much needed capacity through Connolly Station for the northern route and the DART to Malahide and Howth.
I am not satisfied that the Minister and the Government have given this matter the priority it requires. During the debate on the Estimates, the Minister for Transport said he was providing €5 million this year for this project. That is a miserly and unacceptable response from the Minister to the needs of the commuting population of greater Dublin, many of whom have bought houses and transferred to new locations on the basis of public transport being available. We need action, not press releases. The Minister should do his job and provide the needs for the people of the greater Dublin area.