Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 February 2024
6. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has given any further consideration to the idea of a rail line from Navan to Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4166/24]
View answerThe majority of workers in Meath leave the county every day to go to work. It is the only county in the country where that happens. Meath people commute further than people from any other county. Navan is the biggest town in the country without a rail line. Tens of thousands of people in Meath live in commuter hell at the moment. A significant issue is the lack of a rail line. It has an enormous impact on all elements of their lives. The time they spend with their children in the evening is significantly reduced. The level of stress and financial cost is massive. The time they have to engage with their community in training for football and other clubs is significantly reduced. Will the Government speed up the building of this rail line?
The National Transport Authority's transport strategy for the greater Dublin area, which I approved early last year, sets out a framework for transport investment across the region over a 20-year period from 2022 to 2042 and provides a clear statement of transport planning policy for counties Meath, Dublin, Louth, Kildare and Wicklow. Having a transport strategy is vital to ensure we assess how the different modes can deliver for the region and how we can sequence delivery to maximise benefits and value for money.
The issue of a rail connection between Dublin and Navan was re-examined as part of the development of the transport strategy. That re-examination supported the development of a rail line to Navan and the final strategy now includes delivery of the line over the medium term. As the Deputy knows, a project of this scale requires significant design and planning before construction can commence. I am pleased to say the NTA has allocated funding to Iarnród Éireann for the establishment of a design team to start work this year. This work will involve the route selection and planning and design phases of the project. Iarnród Éireann has commenced the procurement process for this pre-construction phase of the project. It is anticipated that a route options public consultation will take place in late 2025 or early 2026. This process will take some time and will be subject to public consultation. I look forward to the Deputy’s support during those public consultation phases. The process will ultimately recommend a defined route and develop a preliminary business case which will need to be approved by Government before it enters the planning system. I look forward to the rail project progressing through the design and planning stages and towards construction in the years ahead.
The only glaciers not under threat from global warming are the ones in government in terms of delivery of projects. We have been promised the Dublin to Navan rail line for 15 to 20 years. We have been here before. Fianna Fáil promised it would build it by 2015. The original Navan to Dublin rail line was built with picks and shovels in the 1850s in three years, yet we are told by the Government that some time in the next 15 years we may have it. We are told it will be at least 2037 before it is open under this plan.
If that is not the case, I ask the Minister to give a detailed breakdown of the timescale for delivery. That is important information for the people of Meath. A generation's lives are being negatively affected by being stuck in this commuter hell. The rail line is a key to unlock their ability to get to work on time and the Minister's objectives, and mine, to reduce climate change.
I agree it takes us too long to build public transport projects and all projects in this State. Our planning and legal system and other elements are part of the problem. The timescale the Deputy mentioned is far too long. I understand from Iarnród Éireann that we could and should have a railway order by 2027 and can start construction after that. Construction would take three to four years. We should be aiming for the early part of the next decade - 2031 or 2032 - rather than later in the decade, as the Deputy seemed to suggest.
The challenges to that are various. Local opposition can be among the biggest difficulties. People have the right to oppose and contest any development. That is often the biggest reason for delay. A second difficulty is budget allocation. We have many public transport projects awaiting approval and starting to come through approval, including tripling the DART system, Cork metropolitan rail, Limerick metropolitan rail and the metro. The Navan rail line is essential and key within that. Whichever government follows this one will have to ensure the finance is available, and that means prioritising this over other projects.
The planning and legal system is under the Government's responsibility and influence. The staffing of the planning system is a job for the Government. The legal system takes so long because there are not enough staff in the system. It is grinding to a halt and is far slower than those of most other countries. They are not external excuses in terms of delivery of this project.
The Minister made a key point around a government committing funds to this. We have been here before. The most recent economic crash basically stopped the project being built the last time an effort was made to do so. I appeal to the Minister to speak to the NTA because it has given me later indicative dates for completion than he has. He can impress upon it the necessity to have this line opened in 2030 or 2031.
It is important that other projects such as the western rail corridor are proceeded with too. I give credit to Luke Silke and Paul Lawless, who have been fighting for the rail corridor in the west.
Iarnród Éireann was before the transport committee last week and it is clear it is ambitious to deliver the project in the timeline the Minister outlined, right through from design to completion. The issue is funding. This project is in the greater Dublin area transport strategy for delivery between 2031 and 2036. That is in black and white. The issue is funding. The Minister is on record saying the national development plan transport projects in the period between now and 2030 are underfunded to the tune of €30 billion. The Navan rail project is not in for delivery in that timeframe. The Minister and his Government need to increase the allocation for the national development plan between now and 2030 and include the Navan rail project between now and 2030.
We have just started funding the design team, which is the first thing that has to be done.
Construction.
Yes, but we cannot construct without planning permission. We need a railway order. Legally, we have to get that first.
You cannot construct without funding.
Yes, but we have to get the design first and we have set up the team to deliver that. We can go to construction once we get the railway order. There is a shortfall in funding. This is often very contentious because representatives from various constituencies come to me and ask me to fund X, Y and Z.
That funding should prioritise public transport because it has been totally underfunded for the past 50 years and the car-dependent system we have created is crippling our transport system. That goes back to what the Deputy said about how the system is not working because we have created such a car-dependent system. Public transport frees up everyone and benefits everyone. We should be prioritising it and I will do that. Even if we got all the funding, I am told that if everything goes well, we will be able deliver by 2031, 2032 or 2033. It is our job in the political system to drive the administrative system to deliver on time. I do not see anyone disagreeing with me on that when it comes to the Navan rail line. It is that sort of timeframe if we get everything right, so let us go and get everything right.
