Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 February 2023
155. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if the Navan rail line project will now proceed to design and appraisal given its inclusion as a medium-term project in the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042; if he will provide an update and indicative timeline for each of the phases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6908/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra156. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if the Navan rail line will not proceed to construction in advance of 2031 due to funding constraints in the national development plan to 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6909/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra157. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if additional funding was made available in the national development plan prior to 2030 to provide for the construction of the Navan rail line; the estimated timeline for delivery on this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6910/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 155 to 157, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy is aware, the issue of a rail connection to Navan has been re-examined as part of the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) review of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). The Strategy is a multi-modal, twenty year transport strategy for the region and one that must be reflected in relevant land-use strategies across the GDA.
A Navan rail link is included in the recently published GDA Transport Strategy as one of the proposed projects to be delivered. As it stands, the Strategy proposes delivery of the Navan rail line in the medium term from 2031-2036. A project of this scale will require significant planning and design before construction can commence. It is expected that this pre-construction work will commence in the second half of this decade under the National Development Plan funding envelope out to 2030.
