2026-06-18

108. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Transport the reason he is delaying funding for DART+ South West; and when he intends to release the funding for this vital public transport project. [46305/26]

Will the Minister provide an update on when he intends to approve and release the funding for DART+ South West, which is a vital public infrastructure project for Dublin Mid-West? It is urgently needed and it is greatly delayed. Public representatives and, crucially, people living along that rail corridor were deeply disappointed when the Minister made the announcement last year that he would not honour his predecessor's commitment to approve the funding and have the project start as a matter of urgency. I would welcome an update on the matter.

The DART+ programme, including DART+ South West, is a priority investment for me as Minister and for the Department of Transport. Collectively, the programme will triple the length of the electrified Dublin commuter rail network and double its capacity, with customers starting to experience tangible benefits from the middle of next year when services to and from Drogheda come into operation. That is the first iteration of the programme. In terms of DART+ South West specifically, a major milestone was cleared in November 2024 when the project secured full planning approval. Procurement for both DART+ South West and DART+ West is now progressing, with pre-qualification questionnaires for design and build works advertised for both in May 2025. Last year, the national development plan allocated funding to advance DART+ West into construction from late next year. DART+ West must proceed first in terms of the infrastructure programmes, as it includes a new depot to house the expanded DART fleet and necessary city centre capacity upgrades to expedite the subsequent delivery of DART+ South West. The two projects are interlinked. The procurement approach will see supplier frameworks established across both projects for common project elements. That will enable us to advance the projects sooner. NDP funding was also allocated to commence the compulsory purchase order process for DART+ South West. That commenced in February this year. I will continue to engage with colleagues on this project. It is my intention, through the frameworks I have outlined, to deliver elements of both projects together, including the depot. There is some scheduling to be done between the two projects but they are an absolute commitment for us and we intend to deliver them.

The problem is that what the Minister has described is a very different scenario from what was promised by his predecessor, who indicated that funding would be announced and approved in 2025 and the project would be completed by 2030. From all the conversations I am having with public transport providers, I do not accept that the electrified depot capacity is the problem. My view is that the Government simply is not willing at this point to commit the funding for DART+ South West. That means the project will not start until 2028 or 2029 at the earliest and possibly not until 2030. The hard-working people of Dublin Mid-West will then have to wait another four to five years, which takes us into the middle of the next decade. I think the Minister is misleading the House and the public when he tries to link the refusal to bring forward the funding for this project as a matter of urgency to infrastructural provision elsewhere in the system. Can he at least tell us----

The Deputy's time is up. The Minister to respond.

I have not misled the House. I do not do that and the Deputy should withdraw that comment.

The Minister is famous for it.

This is the first time the Deputy has come into the Chamber for transport questions to even ask about this project. He is feigning an interest in it. Other colleagues across other parties regularly advocate for this. The Deputy does not like good news and he does not like to see any progress on anything because it does not suit-----

When will we get the funding?

-----his political narrative.

When will we get the funding?

Deputy Ó Broin, allow the Minister to respond.

I have missed the Deputy from my days in the Department of housing. He continues to barrack people all of the time. He lost that debate too, in the last general election. We are going to deliver this project. We have published an NDP that is fully funded. We are bringing the funding forward on this for DART+ West and DART+ South West. It is clear; I have said it and that is what is happening. There is no resiling from that whatsoever. This period of time is actually the delivery period for many transformational public transport projects right across the country. It might disappoint the Deputy to actually see those commencing and being delivered because it gives him less to give out about.

I would be more than happy to commend the Minister and welcome an actual announcement on the actual date the funding is going to be released. I would even write him a personal letter of thanks on behalf of my constituents. The problem is that he took a decision to delay a vital piece of public transport infrastructure for five years on a commitment given by his predecessor. Those are the facts. Yes, it is the first time I have come here, but the Minister knows I have been raising this matter with him since he became the Minister responsible, and I did so with his predecessor. It is a very simple question. When will the NTA have the funding? Procurement is going to take possibly about a year, then it is ready to go. Is the Minister saying that if the NTA is ready to go and commence construction in 2027 or 2028 he is willing to provide the funding or are we going to have to wait until we get the NDP review and maybe the funding will be released by 2030? All I am asking for is an actual date. The Minister had a long track record of misleading the House under his previous responsibility. I will not stand for it now, just like I did not then.

I am in the Chair. You should not make those remarks, Deputy Ó Broin, unless they are-----

Unless they are factually accurate, which they are.

No, hold on a second. You should allow the Minister to answer the question you have put in time.

I have respect for his constituents but it is very difficult to respect the Deputy when he continues to behave in this way. I completely reject what he has said. It is the first time in 18 months that he has come into this Chamber and bothered to take the time to raise this project that apparently he cares so much about. I contrast that with his colleague, Deputy Shane Moynihan, who has regularly raised it, advocated and sought meetings with the NTA.

As we all have. When will it get the funding?

Deputy Ó Broin, allow the Minister to use his time to answer or leave the Chamber.

He will not answer the question. He has 27 seconds. When will the NTA get the money?

He is going to leave the Chamber after the question.

I do not know how things operate in Sinn Féin but I have a fair idea. The Deputy may get away with bullying people in his own party but he will not bully or barrack me.

When will the NTA get the money? It is a simple question.

Is there any point in even trying to answer?

I am going to move on to the next question because there is no point.

Pathetic, Eoin, pathetic.

No answers, as usual, Minister.

You are pathetic.