I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this matter this evening and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, for his attendance. I appreciate it. The DART+ West project was touted as the first of the projects of the broader DART+ programmes that would be delivered. It is a much-needed rail line improvement. It is an important project for north Kildare in that it would provide a sustainable and enhanced rail service for users. The project between Hazelhatch and Heuston is expected to increase hourly traffic from 5,000 to 20,000 commuters alone. Kildare commuters have the second longest commute in the State. It is hoped that the project will improve capacity on the Maynooth and M3 Parkway lines into Dublin's existing and to-be-expanded DART network. The DART+ West network applied to An Bord Pleanála for a railway order in July 2022. Since its inception, communities in Kilcock and Sallins have campaigned for the inclusion of their towns in the first phase of this roll-out, because it makes no financial or engineering sense to bring these services as far as Maynooth, Hazelhatch and Celbridge without going that extra little bit to Kilcock and Sallins and Naas. I am sure Deputy Ó Fearghaíl would say to bring it to Newbridge while we are at it.

Sentiment score: 0.22

For months, concerned residents of Kilcock and many other towns spoke about the vitality that this service would bring. It is seen as an essential part of the development of Kilcock and indeed wider north Kildare. All along, we were facing the prospect of the DART+ having its depot in Kilcock but no service in Kilcock. Now that this is off the cards, where will this depot go? It can go to the other side of Kilcock, to Enfield. There are many opportunities for a park-and-ride service. I acknowledge that the delivery of this extension to Kilcock is dependent on the service and delivery of the DART+ West project in general, but some sort of pre-planning can be done in tandem with the existing process that is under way. We are told that an extension of DART+ is an objective of the National Transport Authority. While it is welcome that this is in the greater Dublin area transport strategy, the timeline for the railway order to the end of this is 20 years. That is a generation of more than 100,000 commuters who do not have that option. While the private car remains the most popular mode of commuting in Kildare, we have seen an increase in the use of public transport between the most recent two census profiles. Much of that is down to the increase in provision of bus services and accessibility to existing rail services. I commend previous Governments on their work and significant investment in that, because it has to be noted that there has been a significant increase in public transport services in Kildare. However, we are told that the DART+ project will require additional funding to that provided for in the current national development plan. Has this been estimated yet? I understand that a mid-term review of the national development plan was or is to happen. What is the update on this? Last year, the then Minister of State, Deputy James Lawless, announced that funding had been secured to prepare for the future roll-out of the DART to Sallins, Naas and Kilcock. I welcome this wholeheartedly. What does it mean exactly? Are details available? Will the Minister of State confirm that the contingency of the DART extending was and is not dependent on the depot being in Kilcock? When can people reasonably expect to see DART trains in Kilcock, Sallins and Naas?

Sentiment score: 0.16

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I appreciate that. Like him, I have spent a lot of time in Maynooth over the years as a student and educator. What emphasises the need for Kilcock and south Kildare is that sometimes it is quicker to get from Dublin city to Maynooth than from Kilcock to Maynooth. That is because the public transport might let you down or is not interlinked. That really emphasises the need for this service to be rolled out. I appreciate it is now included in that strategy, but the concern for many in Kilcock and Sallins is that the timeframe for that strategy is potentially 20 years away. We need it urgently. We need it much sooner than that. If there are ways in which we can incorporate those towns into the existing works, it would be appreciated, and there is an evidence base for that. I would love to engage further with the officials in the Department and I appreciate the Minister of State for his time and effort.

Sentiment score: 0.26