Peadar Tóibín
Ceist: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]
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Rail Network
The 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.
Departmental Policies
Paul Murphy
Ceist:7. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will make public transport free for under-18s and students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4415/24]
We have had many exchanges in the Chamber on the need for free public transport. People Before Profit are very clear we consider this to be a key environmental and cost-of-living measure. I want to focus on the question of making public transport free for under-18s and students because not only is it a very good idea, but it is also Green Party policy. Are we going to see it happen?
Further to what I was saying a moment ago, I fully agree that we need to encourage more people to use public transport. That is why we are investing in significant service and infrastructure improvements as well as funding various fare initiatives that have been introduced in recent budgets which complement the heavily discounted fares already available for under-18s on PSO services. However, all these improvements and initiatives require significant levels of funding, which means we need to think carefully about how best to use available sources of funding.
There is a wealth of data available to inform our decisions in that regard. The CSO’s national travel survey shows us the type of barriers that prevent greater usage of public transport. Those barriers primarily relate to issues like service availability, which is the question of whether there is a service available, service frequency, which is the question of whether services come at times that suit the individual, and service reliability, which is the question of whether someone can rely on the bus or train to be there when he or she needs it. We are tackling those barriers through initiatives like investing in BusConnects, which I mentioned earlier, as well as enhanced town services in bigger towns and Connecting Ireland in rural areas. On rail, we are supporting improvements across the network on both commuter and intercity services.
The Deputy is right to say fares play a part, especially for young adults, and again that is evident from the national travel survey. Around 9% of young adults say the cost of public transport is an issue and it is that cohort we are supporting through the young adult card and student Leap card, which reduces fares by 50%. The data also shows that another 8% of people think we should make it easier to use public transport and it is that cohort we are helping with the TFI 90 fare initiative.
As a final point, other data in recent years showed the cost-of-living pressures people were facing, which we addressed through reducing all PSO fares by 20%. That sort of evidence of improvements is going to be key. We will continue to review and look at the whole variety of different issues, including fare costs and the level of PSO subvention. There is a particular issue for young people around school travel and that is another connected issue which the Department of Education is responsible for. I will be happy to discuss this with the Deputy.
I thank the Minister. The Green Party transport policy from April 2021 refers to short-term actions to be done within 12 months. One is to "Make public transport free for all students (up to and including 3rd level) ...". It is now 34 months later and students are still paying for public transport. What I took from the Minister's answer, as well as recent reporting in the Irish Examiner is that there is no intention to further reduce fares and certainly no intention to move towards non-commodified public transport for young people, or at least students. This would make it much easier for people to take public transport, make it something everybody can do and assist in shifting people out of cars onto public transport, which is one of the crucial things we need to do.
The Deputy quotes our policy from April 2021, but he should look at what has happened since then. For a student, the 50% reduction is in effect a 60% reduction because it also benefits from the wider 20% reduction. If people in college who use public transport are asked what has changed in the last few years and whether they notice that change, they say "Yes". That was delivered thanks to us and our Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael colleagues in government. It is not an insignificant change and, as I reported earlier, the numbers using the services are skyrocketing compared with any other international precedent, any other country one might look at.
What other Deputies were saying is true, namely, what really drives people mad is if they are waiting at a bus stop and the bus does not turn up. It is about frequency, reliability and speed and they should be the focus now. Budgets are limited. We have a constrained budget both on the current and capital sides. There is a real issue with how we pay for everything while also paying for health, social welfare, education and other services we need. Having delivered, especially for young people, a dramatic reduction in fares, it is right for us to now increase the service reliability and availability.
The fare reduction is welcome; there is no question about that. It has made a difference, so imagine what a difference it could make if the Minister's party's policy were implemented and we reduced the fares so far that they no longer existed. Imagine what that would mean for people in terms of the money in their pocket and the ease of just knowing they can jump on a bus, train or whatever and get where they need to go.
This is always the debate. The Minister says "No" and that the key thing is for us to have accessible, expanded public transport. We agree. We do not counterpose those things. Our budget statement outlines the cost of making public transport free, which is about €500 million, but we do not just do that. We say we need to massively expand public transport, because it is all very well for it to be free but if people do not have a bus, train or whatever else taking them where they need to go, then public transport is not going to be an option for them. We need to do both. Is the Minister saying that Green Party policy has been abandoned, that he is not fighting for it any more or that he does not think it is a good idea because he is in favour of doing other things?
I am very glad about the Green Party policy we introduced whereby 10% of funding is going for cycling and walking, which has never been done before. That is delivering. I would welcome the Deputy cycling down from Tallaght on the new green route, which is going to be spectacular.
So would I.
We will start concluding it this year, joining up south Dublin with Dublin city centre. That is Green Party policy being delivered. It was also Green Party policy that introduced in the programme for Government the 2:1 ratio between public transport and roads in the remaining capital budget. There was nothing like that before we came into government. That is also part of what we need to.
There are so many different things we need to do and so many different moving parts, but the key now is to make the political decisions to reallocate road space to ensure the buses work faster so they come quicker. That is what the people want more than anything else. It is what the priority should be. I am upfront and honest about that. It is going to be the key political issue in the next two to three years at local government level. People Before Profit councillors are opposing traffic measures in Dún Laoghaire that would be transformative. That decision has not been made yet. Will the Deputy get his councillors to vote in favour of sustainable mobility in Dún Laoghaire as an example of what needs to be done.? That does not cost anything except a bit of political courage.
We are in favour of access in Dún Laoghaire.
People Before Profit councillors are going to vote against it, I am told.
I do not think so.
If the position has changed, it will be good news.
I will find out, but I do not think so.
I ask the Deputy to come back to me and let me know.
Yes.
Bus Services
Mark Ward
Ceist:8. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Transport the measures being taken to address antisocial behaviour on Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Bus services or towards their staff; what supports are available to their staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4599/24]
We have had a number of bus curtailments in my area of Clondalkin and it has had a huge impact on passengers getting to and from work, visiting family and friends and getting home at nighttime. What measures are being taken to address antisocial behaviour on public buses or towards staff and what supports are available to staff and passengers?
The Deputy is right that antisocial behaviour on our public transport systems is a real scourge. I fully recognise that those who regularly use and work within our public transport network are directly impacted by any safety or security incidents that may occur on the network. I reassure the Deputy that Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland both take the safety and security of passengers and staff very seriously and work with the NTA and An Garda Síochána to promote order and safety on board their vehicles. Each of the operators has introduced a number of initiatives in recent years to help combat the issue. For example, the entire Dublin Bus fleet is fully fitted with CCTV cameras and radios for immediate contact to a central control centre.
Both Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead utilise extensive CCTV networks to discourage antisocial behaviour incidents.
Further, An Garda Síochána is conducting more patrols in the areas experiencing particular safety and security issues and have deployed undercover gardaí to assist with this. I fully support this work and the ongoing positive engagement between An Garda Síochána and the various public transport operators as regards the issue of safety on public transport.
Despite this, both Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead have noted increases in antisocial behaviour on their services, including verbal abuse towards employees and stone-throwing at buses.
In 2023, Dublin Bus experienced 621 reports of antisocial behaviour on its services: 315 incidences related to objects, particularly stones, thrown at buses and 91 incidences of aggressive behaviour. Dublin Bus had to implement 238 route curtailments throughout 2023 due to repeated incidences of antisocial behaviour on routes, while Go-Ahead experienced 310 reports of antisocial behaviour on its services in 2023, with 68 reported incidences of verbal assault on employees and 49 reports of objects thrown at buses.
I assure the Deputy that I take this issue very seriously and that my Department and the NTA will continue to engage regularly with operators on the issue of safety and security on public transport.
I agree with the Minister that antisocial behaviour on and towards Dublin Bus is an absolute scourge to our communities and absolutely unacceptable. The people carrying out this do not represent the vast majority of people from my area.
I want to talk about one bus in my area, the 13, which goes from Grange Castle to Dublin city. On its route it travels through Bawnogue and Deansrath. It is a vital service. It is a bus I myself use regularly. I use it at the weekend coming back from town. The buses have had stones and other missiles thrown at them. Drivers fear for their own safety and the safety of their passengers. However, because of the decision not to enter the Bawnogue and Deansrath area, local residents, many on their way home from work, shopping or visiting family or friends, have been left stranded. One family of a wheelchair user contacted me outlining how difficult this journey is for her if the bus stops early and they have to make their own way home.
As this is an ongoing issue, what strategy has the Government in place to ensure that ordinary, decent residents can get home safely?
The Deputy's example is very good and an important one. I am aware of the situation in Bawnogue. In January of this year there were a number of incidences whereby drivers did not go through certain estates for fear of some of the issues I mentioned earlier. There was a real threat of detour of all these routes. I am glad that my understanding is that that has not happened. That is primarily because of the operators, trade unions, An Garda Síochána and local community people coming together, as has happened in other parts of the county. It is not just in any one part of the county that this can be a problem. It is a matter of that local engagement with An Garda Síochána, local authorities, trade unions and local community organisations. That has, I understand, avoided the detour in Clondalkin becoming the norm. That is the best approach. Working with local community gardaí, in particular, is the key to stamping this out.
The Minister is right again. The detour has stopped. I myself met with Dublin Bus during the week. One of the issues we have is that there is often an incident and then it is followed by another incident and then it ends in a pattern and the behaviour becomes commonplace. I wonder if a more cross-departmental approach is possible whereby we could nip this in the bud a lot earlier. I welcome that the community safety forum through our councillor, William Carey, called in the gardaí to meet them. That was the start of the engagement there. Before that happens, however, Dublin Bus should have a mechanism whereby it can engage itself with the Garda, youth outreach workers and local schools on an educational basis. We could have a holistic approach to this. As I said, the behaviour of a small few individuals in one area is having a big impact on the majority of the decent residents there. If we could nip this in the bud earlier and get these people around the table like a task force, I think that would abruptly make a big difference and we could get the buses to stop detouring a lot more quickly than they have been.
I support Deputy Ward in respect of this. The issues of antisocial behaviour and vicious attacks on both commuters and the drivers of our public bus, train and rail services have been ongoing. It is something we need to deal with. The reality is that if we are to have more people using public transport, there will be centres of community movement. We would want to understand that community policing is about where people are, and people will be at bus stops, on trains and using public transport more and more. That is why we have a longstanding proposal to see a transport policing division of An Garda Síochána. That needs to be considered in the context of expanding and growing our public transport infrastructure across the country.
Another issue comes to mind in respect of this. We also, of course, have a big issue with recruitment and getting new drivers and other staff to work on these services. Many of these people are from other countries, and I have heard from many people that a lot of the stuff that is going on is racist attacks and racist abuse of drivers and people using these services. We need to recognise that we have a difficulty here and that that difficulty needs to be addressed.
The issues raised here are happening nationally, in every town and city. Along with Deputy Kenny, I think this Government needs to look at a specific transport police to ensure people's safety when they are using all forms of public transport.
The other thing I would encourage the Minister to do is to work with and to link in with schools and community projects. I have seen at first hand buses being attacked and services being stopped and then the parents and grandparents of the very same people who have attacked the buses have to walk home or get someone to collect them. I believe in working with community policing, youth clubs, local schools, local GAA clubs and other sporting organisations. I also believe we have to get parents in on this conversation because the people who suffer here are the people who need public transport. That is why it is vital that antisocial behaviour is dealt with.
I do not disagree with the Deputies. To give some reassurance as to what Dublin Bus is doing, each bus, as I said, is equipped with CCTV. It also has access to central control, An Garda Síochána, both radio audible and silent alarms so they can get back up. It is also engaged a lot in the community forums Deputy Ward mentioned. It does that in a progressive way as well as in the school education programmes. It is doing a lot of the pre-emptive work the Deputy mentioned in getting in there early. Also, the NTA organises an antisocial behaviour working group. That is the best way of managing this. It is also very involved in supporting the Community Spirit Awards, which help build up that sense of relationship and connection. Yes, we need strong policing and we need to make sure the passengers and drivers are safe, but the earlier investment in community engagement with schools and others is the right way of trying to manage this.
Bus Éireann
Thomas Gould
Ceist:10. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport if he has met recently with Bus Éireann in Cork city; and if he is aware of frequent delays and cancellations. [4602/24]
Has the Minister recently met with Bus Éireann in Cork city, and is he aware of the frequent delays and cancellations of bus services, which increased before the Christmas period and are still ongoing?
I reassure the Deputy that I and my Department have regular engagement with Bus Éireann at all levels, including at CEO level, on issues such as governance, finance, investment, safety and service provision. I last met the chairwoman of Bus Éireann on 27 September last.
I am aware of the ongoing public transport service issues in Cork city and the negative impact they are having on the travelling public. Bus Éireann has advised that these issues are due largely to congestion, traffic delays and roadworks in the city centre, which are all leading to longer journey times.
Bus Éireann is working with the NTA in re-examining what steps can be taken this year to improve service provision in the city. The recent introduction of the MacCurtain Street public transport improvement scheme on 26 November last and subsequent timetable refreshes represent a significant investment into Cork city. I recognise, however, that there is still work to be done to build on these incremental changes. In particular, service reliability and punctuality enhancements for routes 220, 225 and 226 are being reviewed by the NTA and Bus Éireann with a view towards additional timetable updates later in the first or second quarter of this year.
The NTA is also working with key local stakeholders such as Cork City Council and An Garda Síochána to assist in the development and enhancement of more reliable and efficient public transport in the city, as well as the enforcement of local traffic and parking by-laws.
Cork is a growing city and needs a bus network that works for its increasing population. The Cork metropolitan area transport strategy was developed by the NTA in collaboration with TII and Cork's city and county councils. A key part of this programme is BusConnects Cork.
The NTA launched its new design for the Cork metropolitan bus network in June 2022. The new network, which is part of BusConnects Cork, is intended to transform public transport across the Cork metropolitan area with the creation of new bus routes and improved bus frequencies to meet anticipated growth and future demand. The BusConnects Cork programme will provide better walking, cycling and bus infrastructure for 11 key access corridors in the Cork region to transform the public transport network, making it safer, faster and more sustainable for everyone in the city.
I have engaged extensively with BusConnects because I believe Cork needs it, but it needs to be a BusConnects that delivers. We are working very closely with the NTA on that. Buses in Cork are being cancelled and delayed. People have no faith in the service at present. I met Bus Éireann before Christmas to explain to it that more and more people are getting into their cars because they do not trust the service. It has never been as bad as it is now. During the meeting I was told the drivers were not the issue. A person contacted me to tell me that recently 14 buses did not have a driver. The drivers are doing brilliant work, but if there are not enough of them we cannot have a proper bus service. Will the Minister provide additional funding to Bus Éireann in Cork to take on drivers?
We need more drivers. The key thing we can do to help the bus service in Cork and around the country is to deliver the BusConnects network because no amount of drivers will be able to work-----
That will not be for years. I am talking about now.
We need to look at that. As I said earlier, we have carried out two years of consultation. In my mind, there is broad political support for the BusConnects network.
In terms of what we need to do, I would look to accelerate that in order to get it into planning this year rather than next. That is one of the ways we could accelerate it. That will involve pushing all of the levers flat out to get things done. The programme will still have to go through planning and construction. During Covid, Cork rearranged a lot of streets because of the immediate crisis. We should consider that on an interim basis while we are waiting for the full BusConnects infrastructure to be rolled out. Cork's city and county councils should consider what interim measures can be put in place, similar to what happened during Covid, to implement some of the measures of BusConnects while we are waiting for it to get through the full planning system.
We want BusConnects, but it will take years. These are the facts. Today, people in Cork are not getting buses because they are delayed or have been cancelled. I need an answer from the Minister today. Will he provide additional funding for bus drivers?
A young man going to college every day needs to take the 201 bus service. Nine days out of ten, the bus never turns up or is delayed. How can a person depend on that service? A lady in Ballyvolane looked at the app last week, which told her that the bus was cancelled. She walked home to get her car to drive to work and the bus passed her by on the road. The app is not accurate. That must be fixed. People cannot get to work, college schools or hospitals. I was in CUH recently and spoke to people who were waiting on buses in the freezing cold. Elderly and sick people told me the bus service in Cork is not dependable.
The Deputy is absolutely correct; the bus service In Cork has to become more dependable. That requires new investment in drivers, as well as new buses and facilities. It also requires us to improve the conditions in which buses operate so that those drivers are not stuck in traffic. That is my key point. Delivery for the likes of BusConnects corridors is frustratingly slow, but it is the right way to go and we should work collectively to see how we could accelerate that because, ultimately,that is the best solution for those people the Deputy has cited who want a better bus service.
Rail Network
Alan Farrell
Ceist:9. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on progress to integrate of new DART carriages to the DART fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4004/24]
The Minister's answer will be fine.
The DART+ programme is a key programme of projects which will significantly expand the DART train service across the greater Dublin area. The programme comprises the DART+ fleet project, as well as various infrastructure projects. The NTA, in consultation with Iarnród Éireann, is progressing these projects which are at various stages of planning and development.
In December 2021, following Government approval, a major fleet procurement framework was awarded to Alstom for the manufacture and delivery of up to 750 new rail carriages over ten years. At this time, as part of the new framework the first order of new DART carriages was made, comprising 65 battery electric and 30 electric train carriages. In November 2022, the Government approved a second purchase of rail fleet under the framework, which will see 90 additional battery electric trains arrive in the coming years.
These 185 carriages are now being manufactured. The first of the new trains are due to arrive later this year for testing and commissioning before deployment. The 30 electric carriages will be used, at least initially, to augment existing DART train services along the coast. The first batch of 65 battery electric train carriages are expected to enter service on the Dublin to Drogheda line in late 2025 or early 2026. To enable the roll-out of these DART trains to Drogheda, new battery electric charging infrastructure is being developed at Drogheda station. This will allow DART trains to operate on battery power between Malahide and Drogheda, in advance of the extension of overhead electric wires in future. The remaining carriages will facilitate the roll-out of other DART services to Maynooth, the M3 Parkway and Celbridge in the years ahead and possibly beyond.
Funding has been provided to carry out a feasibility study on extending the DART to Wicklow town. It is being undertaken by Iarnród Éireann, with the potential for the new service to be in place by 2026. Similar to the Dart extension to Drogheda, this could be achieved using battery power in advance of overhead electric wires being installed. I look forward to the roll-out of the new DART services across the greater Dublin area in the coming years, helping people to travel in and out of the city conveniently and sustainably by public transport.
I thank the Minister and Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I very much look forward to the project. The people in Donabate, in my constituency, who are without a DART have looked forward to this for quite some time. I heretofore had six train stations in my constituency, which was fantastic during election periods. That number has now been reduced to three, but the extension of the DART is much more important than one single constituency because it has the capacity to change the transport habits of tens of thousands of people across the north-eastern seaboard from Donabate to Drogheda.
I am keen to ensure that the network upgrade, to which the Minister referred in respect of the BusConnects project, is operated and delivered on time and, it is to be hoped, on budget. The turnback at Malahide has proven to be quite problematic. Could the Minister comment on that particular project?
I am not aware of the difficulties of the turnback in Malahide but I will try to find out about them and speak to the Deputy after the debate. There are a lot of different moving parts. The trains are coming. We need to determine the things we need to get right to accelerate the roll-out of the project. I spoke to officials about this yesterday. I question why it takes us so long to test and trial between the arrival of a train and its deployment. I have asked my officials to examine that. We obviously have to make sure that everything is safe but as some timelines are almost a year between arrival and deployment, I question whether we could shorten that.
Another key infrastructural thing we need to get right is the deployment of new charging infrastructure. A lot of the existing DART network already has overhead wires, but when the line is extended to the likes of Drogheda we need to consider how we install charging for new battery electric trains. That will be critical. We need to determine how we can do the same in Wicklow in order to extend the DART service in that region. That could also be applied further to Cork, in terms of having chargers in Midleton and Mallow. That is the key thing to get right next.
I thank the Minister and agree with him on charging facilities, in particular in Drogheda. Have they entered, or are they about to enter, procurement?
I also agree about the turnaround time from delivery. That applies to non-electric carriages, that is, the intercity carriages that arrived recently. My understanding is that it took more than six months for them to be commissioned and introduced. As I said, however, on behalf of my own constituents in Donabate and beyond, it is so important that the timeline of this delivery is not allowed to slip because it is such an important component for transport options for people in the northern parts of Dublin, Meath and Louth into the years ahead. I very much look forward to ensuring that these battery electric trains are delivered and put into operation as quickly as possible.
Deputy Durkan wanted to come in briefly.
I have a very quick supplementary question. Can the Minister do everything possible to expedite the extension of the DART to north Kildare and the various areas he mentioned already with a view to ensuring, in the face of a rapidly expanding population, that we come to grips with the cluttering of traffic on the roads and, in fact, road safety?
I agree with both Deputies. I was not forgetting north Kildare and the DART+ South West. A lot of projects are coming, and they will get through planning. I am confident that we are going to see them start to come through the planning system now. We must then immediately start thinking that now we have got them through planning, let us build.
I will make one broader and much wider point about the reason why this strategically makes sense. We will be going into a review the national planning framework and what we are likely to see coming out of that is a recognition that our population is increasing faster than we thought and we need to provide for greater growth. The growth has to be sustainable, however. It was interesting that Deputy Tóibín earlier gave the example of Meath commuters having the longest commute. We have to make sure that where we put in new housing now is transport-led development and that it is as close as possible to where new rail services are going so that we have a really good quality of life where we have fast ways of getting around. That is why these services are important. It is not just about the transport. When we upgrade the transport, it allows us to build more housing close to stations and that is how we should really look at this.
Road Projects
Brendan Griffin
Ceist:11. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport if the completion of the N86 Tralee to Dingle Road upgrade is a priority of his; the fatality figures on this road; the reason the progress made on the first phases has not been continued at the same pace; if he understands the challenges caused by peninsular peripherality in this location and the need for modern road infrastructure to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4553/24]
This question is about the N86 Tralee to Dingle road. Is it a priority for the Minister? Will he provide the road fatality figures he has available for this road?
It was making very good progress a number of years ago when different phases of the road were progressing. In fact, when I was in the Minister's Department as Minister of State, I remember opening a significant phase between Ballynasare and Lispole. However, progress has been very slow, apart from a small section in Anascaul. I seek an update, please.
Deputy Griffin and I have had a discussion on this in the past, so I am particularly attentive to it. I do not believe I have been given the actual statistics on fatalities or injuries the road. I will make sure that my officials deliver that to the Deputy later today. I apologise because that is not the answer with which I have been presented, which I only realised when we came in this morning. I want to refer to the improvements on the N86 between Tralee and Dingle, however.
As the Deputy said, it is particularly important given the importance of the peninsula. It is also in line with the national strategic outcome of strengthening rural economies and communities, as outlined in the national planning framework. I apologise; I have some details here on road fatality figures. I have been informed by TII that there have been no fatalities on this road in recent years. The primary focus of such upgrades, particularly with regard to secondary roads, is on measures to improve safety. Upgrades to the N86 are being delivered on a phased basis. A number of sections have already been completed with the most recent being the Ballinclare to Anascaul section, which was completed in 2023. TII allocated approximately €3.6 million to Kerry County Council last year to complete this section. Two further upgrades between Ballynasare and Anascaul and Doonore South and Ballygarret are being progressed with preparations to go to tender under way. This will include an upgraded carriageway, along with a combined cycleway-pedestrian facility. Upgrades of the remainder of the route will follow.
Enhanced and improved road connections are vitally important for communities in peripheral locations, as the Deputy rightly highlighted. Other aspects of improved connectivity of this include new and improved public transport services along those roads. I can confirm that in 2023, three new and enhanced bus services for the Dingle Peninsula were launched under the Connecting Ireland initiative. These will improve connections between Dingle and the communities of Castlemaine, Ballyferriter and Ballydavid. This is in addition to a number of new and enhanced Bus Éireann and Local Link services launched in County Kerry last year.
I thank the Minister. I welcome the new bus services as well. They are excellent and it is major progress. With regard to the road, it is very important that we see progress now into 2024. That comes down to the funding being provided by the Minister's Department through TII. It is really crucial that the remaining sections would be allowed to progress and that the tenders would be allowed to progress as well. Whereas, thankfully, in recent years we have not had fatalities on the sections of road we are talking about, there have been fatalities on the entire Tralee to Dingle road. We also cannot discount the fatalities that have happened beyond recent years. Those people matter too and their families still miss them.
We have to look at the bigger picture here. The reason for doing this road in the first place was because of the geographic peripherality suffered by the Dingle Peninsula and the wider economic challenges faced as a result of that. This road is really important.
Go raibh maith agat.
It is coming up at people's front doors. Our local councillor, Séamus Cosaí Fitzgerald, is constantly raising it with me.
I thank the Deputy. We are over time.
Mr. Tommy Griffin is getting this on the doors at the moment.
We are way over time, Deputy.
It is really important that this is a priority for 2024.
I agree with the Deputy. I know that road well. It is very important that if we start it and upgrade some sections that we complete it and do the entire project. My understanding is that we are committed and that the funding will be provided to do it on a phased basis. It would make no sense to improve safety on large sections and then people suddenly come to a very poor section of the road. That is the intention. As the Deputy said, that connectivity is vitally important when people are out at the end of a peninsula. I recognise that.
I welcome that. I ask the Minister to please ensure that this road is on the list when the funding is announced. I am not sure when the funding is going to be announced by TII for the national and secondary roads. I presume it is usually around this time of year.
It will be in the next week or two.
In the next week or two. I ask the Minister because this is really important from a safety point of view and from a wider general economic point of view. It has been a terrible road over the years. Many people have campaigned for a long time. As I said, it is constantly coming up in my office. People talk to me about it when I meet them out in Dingle and along the way. Tommy Griffin is out campaigning at the moment, and he is getting it at most doors. It is very important to people, and they want to see it done. It will save lives but it will also enhance the prospect of those bus services the Minister already spoke about being successful and benefit people who are trying to commute in and out to work in Tralee, which is the major economic engine of the county. That is very important as well. It is a real priority. It is not a glamour project or anything like that. It is a really necessary piece of infrastructure that needs to be completed.
Deputy Murnane O'Connor wanted to come in on this issue.
I will come in for a second. I thank the Minister. I want to address, as previous speakers have done, the number of fatalities on our roads. I want to speak about road safety, proper infrastructure and signage. As the Minister is probably aware, in the early hours of this morning in County Carlow, three young people lost their lives, and one has gone to hospital. This is very serious, and we need to address it.
We were heartbroken this morning when we heard that news from County Carlow. It is devastating for their families. We pray for them and for the individual in hospital. That is why we have to do everything we can to try to reduce those instances and why we will invest to improve safety on our roads. I absolutely echo and agree with the Deputy's comments.
Question No. 12 taken with Written Answers.
We are running out of time, but an Teachta Durkan can have a chance at his question.
Transport Costs
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:13. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which he continues to monitor transport costs and the contributory factors thereto with a view to ensuring that any negative impact on the economy might be alleviated insofar as is possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4545/24]
This is with regard to transport costs and the extent to which the Minister continues to monitor those costs with a view to measuring their impact on the economy.
The Minister might try to get that out in one minute.
It is difficult; the reply looks like more than a minute's worth. I very much agree with the Deputy. Perhaps in the limited time I have, I could give some figures that I did not give earlier. That might answer the question in a way. This is part of the Supplementary Estimate I have but it is just to give an understanding of the figures. I will focus on the cost of public transport for one example because we were talking about that with regard to north Kildare and so on.
The public service obligation spending on public transport went from €914 million in 2019 to €1.046 billion in 2022, and last year it increased to €1.256 billion. These are the overall figures. It is very interesting to consider the revenue figures. In 2019, revenue was €601 million. In 2022, when we were coming out of Covid it was €473 million. Last year, revenue increased to €539 million, which is significant. It still leaves a big gap that we have to cover in public transport services. To go back to the broader point, what is significant is that we reduced fares by 50% for those under the age of 26 and by 20% for the wider population but actual revenue increased because public transport numbers increased. This tells an underlying story. There is an appetite among the public, who want to use the services when we provide them.
We still have a real challenge. We will have a real budget challenge in how we meet the costs and the Minister for Finance, Deputy McGrath, who is sitting behind me, is aware of this more than anyone else. The benefits of this investment are reduced congestion and better economic development. People get to work faster with less time stuck in traffic. There is better economic activity as people are able to get to the shops and to work. I will answer the question with these figures, which give the broad outline of where we are, what we are spending and how much revenue we are getting. I hope in some way it satisfies the Deputy.
We will break the rules and give Deputy Durkan the last word.
I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for the reply. It clearly indicates the importance of ensuring that adequate investment is made in the infrastructure required to ensure the maximum beneficial impact on the country's economy.