I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, for coming in this morning. I raise this Commencement matter to seek an update from the Minister for Transport on the DART+ South West project. I appreciate that transport is not the Minister of State's portfolio and that he is giving his time to be here today. I congratulate him on the very important work he is doing at this time in his role in Europe and I wish him well with the European Council Presidency coming up this year.

This morning specifically, I want to talk about the DART+ South West project, which was first proposed in 2000. It is hard to think that it was a quarter of a century ago. We are in 2026 and we are talking about it here today. To be fair to those involved, it is important to note that there has been significant progress, in particular under the previous Government in the last term of the Oireachtas. We are at the point where the railway order and design are completed, public engagement and submissions from the public have been conducted and the railway order application has been lodged. Most importantly, planning permission has been granted. This is a very positive project. The transport benefits, economic benefits and environmental and social benefits are enormous. From a transport perspective, it will expand travel modes and reduce travel times on public transportation, and it will make public transportation a more attractive, affordable and reliable option for commuters.

In the last two days, we had gridlock in Dublin and disruption on the roads, not just in the city but around the city and in the surrounding counties. We must ask what is causing the delay in us advancing a well-designed, thought-out and planned public transportation plan like the DART+ South West project. From a transport perspective, it will quadruple the tracking between Park West, Cherry Orchard and Heuston Station. This will reduce a major bottleneck and it will accelerate the travel times for commuter traffic and passengers on intercity services.

One might wonder why Mary Fitzpatrick cares so much about Kildare North or even the south west of the city. As a Dub, I care about all of Dublin and the commuter belt, but even in the heart of my constituency, in Cabra where I grew up, we are going to benefit too. Cabra has a population of roughly 26,000 people in the hinterland of where the station would be located, who could avail of this transport option. That is 26,000 people who are living and working and contributing in our capital city. The station will be located just off the Cabra Road. Even if you do not live in Cabra, you will have heard of Cabra if you listen to the road traffic reports. We hear about congestion coming in from Castleknock, down the Navan Road to Cabra Cross and then down the Cabra Road to Doyle's Corner. Famously, every traffic bulletin refers to the traffic congestion at Doyle's Corner and down the North Circular Road. If the DART+ South West project progresses, a lot of people could get out of their cars and get on the DART, and then they would be able to connect to Connolly Station and Drumcondra station. They would be able to connect to the metro when that is built at Cross Guns Bridge. There are enormous transport benefits, economic benefits and social benefits. What I am seeking from the Minister for Transport is a commitment that the Government is going to go ahead with that project.

I commend the Government on committing €24.3 billion to transportation in the national development plan. In the review that took place in 2025, DART+ South West is called out as a project with planning approval. I have heard the Minister say that there is flexibility in the NDP to bring forward projects like DART+ South West. At the moment under the NDP the indicative schedule is for it to commence in 2030. I do not believe we should wait until 2030 and I do not I think the Government believes we should wait until 2030. I believe, and the people of Dublin and of Kildare North believe, that the DART+ South West project with planning permission, with design, with approval and support from the Government can go ahead much earlier than 2030. I really hope the Minister of State can give us an answer that indicates that this morning.

Ar son an Aire Iompair, gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú agus deis a thabhairt dom freagra a thabhairt air sa Teach inniu. The DART+ programme comprises five different rail projects in and around the greater Dublin area. It includes extending the existing DART network to Maynooth, the M3 Parkway and Dunboyne in my constituency, Hazelhatch and Celbridge, and Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda, also serving my constituents, and improving current DART services from Dublin city centre to Greystones. The programme will triple the length of the electrified rail network in the Dublin area and double peak city-centre capacity from 26,000 passengers per direction to 52,000. DART+ South West will extend DART train services from Dublin city centre to Hazelhatch and Celbridge. An Coimisiún Pleanála approved a railway order for DART+ South West in November 2024. In addition, procurement for DART+ South West and DART+ West is progressing with pre-qualification questionnaire notices for design and build works advertised in May last year.

As the Senator said, the Government is committed to the delivery of major public transport projects. This is evidenced by last year’s review of the national development plan which allocated a total of €24.3 billion in Exchequer funding to transport projects from 2026 to 2030. Of this total allocation, Exchequer funding of €10 billion for public transport infrastructure is earmarked from 2026 to 2030, in addition to the €2 billion allocated for MetroLink. This represents an unprecedented level of investment in public transport infrastructure over the coming five years, which has more than doubled compared with the last five-year period. However, it is a simple fact that decisions are required in relation to sequencing and prioritisation. The funding under the NDP transport sectoral investment plan will allow advancement of various elements of the DART+ programme in the coming years, including DART+ West. The funding will also allow compulsory purchase orders to progress for DART+ South West this year and will provide for procurement progress for the project, with some of the framework contracts being established in common for DART+ West and DART+ South West.

Following the investment in new DART+ fleet, DART+ West was always recognised as the critical step in the DART+ programme. That will then allow DART+ South West and indeed the other infrastructure projects of the programme to develop for a number of reasons. The new depot in the Maynooth-Kilcock area, to be delivered as part of DART+ West, provides essential stabling and maintenance facilities for the expanded fleet for the entire programme, which is a prerequisite for supporting service patterns across the entire network, including DART+ South West. DART+ West will deliver the critical electrification of the city centre rail network and the necessary city centre capacity upgrades. This is a prerequisite for future trains coming from DART+ South West to enter the city centre network at Glasnevin Junction from the Phoenix Park Tunnel. Upgrades delivered under DART+ West, such as resignalling and electrification, are also vital for accommodating increased frequency envisaged for DART+ South West. The new station at Spencer Dock, introduced as part of DART+ West, is a key node for future service integration, supporting the operational flexibility required for DART+ South West train services, helping to address the well-known capacity issues at Connolly Station.

The plan for the development of Cabra station is currently being developed in parallel with the DART+ programme. It is at an early stage of development and is progressing towards the statutory planning phase. When and if statutory planning approval is secured, further consideration will be given to the timing of construction of this project. The Department will also explore any EU funding which may become available to accelerate public transport projects. I can confirm that this is part of the discussion I am involved in at an EU level on the multi-annual financial framework in terms of what funding might be available for public transport projects in general. The NDP will be reviewed around 2028 and updated then. This will also provide an opportunity to examine the potential to provide additional funding to accelerate the delivery of projects such as DART+ South West.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit for the detailed response. I acknowledge the Government's commitment to funding transportation of €24 billion and the €12 billion for public transportation in particular. I accept the detailed report that is provided here in terms of the strategy and the requirements for works to be completed on DART+ West, Spencer Dock and Connolly Station to allow DART+ South West and the development of Cabra station to progress. On considering this in detail, it is apparent that work is already under way. I acknowledge that and I congratulate everybody who is involved in that.

I appeal to Government to look at the sequencing of this work as part of the project management of these projects to see what can be done to complete works in parallel as opposed to sequentially. Given where the Minister of State comes from, I know he understands the importance of public transportation for his constituency. When we consider all the people who are stuck on the M50 and our motorways trying to travel into and out of Dublin city, we need to get all those involved in delivering these public transportation projects to take a fresh look and put fresh energy and fresh ambition behind the delivery of really important public transport programmes like DART+ South West and DART+ West, which will electrify the line from Maynooth to Connolly Station, passing through Drumcondra as well as the new Cabra station.

In the opening statement, I outlined a lot of the progress that is happening. I might mention the fleet situation now. Regarding the roll-out of the new DART+ fleet, this has started to undergo safety testing. That will progress from 2027 onwards and will allow what is described as a cascade of existing trains to serve new areas of the Irish Rail network. Three fleet orders have been placed for both battery-electric carriages, which obviously do not need the overhead wires, and electric carriages. Trains from the first order of 95 carriages will initially be deployed on the northern line which serves my constituency including Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda. They will come on stream from next year. It is planned to deploy some of the second order of 90 carriages to allow commencement of the Wicklow DART extension around 2029. In December 2025, the Department funded a third fleet order for another 100 electric DART carriages. That will fully replace the original DART fleet. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, got good coverage when he announced that and the public saw it. It is planned to deploy this order of 100 electric carriages from the end of 2028. Deployment of the first and second order will then free up the intercity and commuter trains for use on other train routes providing a capacity boost. The redeployment will be a matter for Iarnród Éireann and the NTA to decide based on all the factors. Of course, that means there is potential for train carriages to be deployed on the DART+ South West line to add capacity in conjunction with the work that will be under way on the infrastructure upgrade.

I already mentioned the Cabra station project, which is working its way towards planning approval. I emphasise the work that is going on at EU level and departmental level in terms of further sources of funding as these planning approvals start to happen.