Darragh O'Brien
Dublin Fingal East · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The appropriate next time to do that is once the ANCA decision is finalised and the public consultation is concluded, which will be on 3 September. Obviously, there will be a period required after that when the submissions to ANCA will be looked at. That is where the consultation is. That will happen over the coming months.”
“I have already mentioned the more than 3 million passengers who flew through Cork Airport and the growth of Shannon Airport, which has just had its best half a year and which now has over 40 routes. However, a small number of people are impacted and they need to be listened to.”
“Others did not want it at all. I think Shane Ross was Minister for transport at the time. That has been done. That is in place. This decision will be made. I do not have a timeframe. Hopefully it will be soon after the submissions from the public on the draft noise decision is made. That would feed into both.”
“An Investec report published in, I believe, 2022 said that to maintain the cap at 32 million between now and 2030 would jeopardise up to about 19,000 jobs. That is the reality of it. I support the workers in the airport. I am from the community myself. The airport has to grow in a sustainable way.”
“I have also made it clear that even though, and this is a fact, international aviation emissions are outside the scope of the climate action plan, we are taking actions aligned with the global approach to decarbonisation of the aviation industry, which is based on the International Civil Aviation Organization's basket of measures to ensur…”
“I have already highlighted the planning decision on the DAA’s infrastructure application. We discussed that at some length over the course of the last nearly two hours. That application seeks to raise the passenger cap to 40 million and provide for much-needed additional infrastructure at Dublin Airport.”
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“Looking at it in the round it is a package of about €235 million in initial supports. We have retained the flexibility to be able to go back at this should we need to. The Bill also provides scope for the Government to amend this period by way of order at a later date, if required. Currently, the NORA levy is a charge of 2 cent per litre applied to most petroleum products sold in the market for the purpose of funding the operations of the agency and the Climate Action Fund. The reduction in the NORA levy for a two-month period is estimated to result in a reduction of levy income accruing to NORA of approximately €20 million and will remove this cost from consumers. The agency has operational responsibility for the day-to-day management of the State's strategic oil reserve. It currently holds 90 days of oil stocks.”
“These measures were passed by financial resolution last night, with near unanimous support from across the House. I will not labour the point, but I thought it was opposition for opposition’s sake when Sinn Féin opposed the reduction in excise duty yesterday evening. I hope the House can work in a constructive way today and be unanimous on this additional support, which is time-bound and targeted. Supports for haulage and passenger bus operators have also been introduced and the fuel allowance has been extended by four weeks, protecting the most vulnerable in society. About 470,000 homes are now in receipt of the fuel allowance. The changes being made to the fuel allowance will mean those eligible households will receive additional financial support of €152.”
“I know the House will share my concern at the immense human cost of this conflict and my desire to see an immediate de-escalation of the conflict and the resumption of normal activity in the Strait of Hormuz. The amendments being made via the Bill are part of a targeted package of support by the Government to address the pressure faced by consumers. The Bill gives the necessary legal basis for a reduction in the National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, levy from 2 cent per litre to a nominal amount, effectively zero, for a two-month period. The reduction will come into effect from 1 April until 1 June 2026. The Government has reduced the rate of mineral oil tax for petrol, diesel and marked gas oil by 15 cent, 20 cent and 3 cent, respectively.”
“I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the opportunity to bring this Bill forward today. I thank my officials for the work they have done in a very short space of time as well as the Whip's office and the Opposition for facilitating this just the day after it was approved by the Government. I am acutely aware of the pressures being faced by Irish businesses and households. This Bill is being progressed as a critical response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, where the sharp and ongoing disruption to oil and gas production has resulted in higher global energy prices. Around the world, including here in Ireland, we have seen customers face higher prices for transport and home heating fuel.”
“However, the Deputy has given me two specific dates on which there were problems. If there are more, we need to know about it. I ask the Deputy to please feed any such information into me and the Department and I will take the matters up directly with the NTA and revert to her. I do not have an update on the 199 route, which is the Glendalough and Bray route. I will get an update for the Deputy and come back to her.”
“The customer has to be at the centre of everything we do. The automatic vehicle location system will help greatly in that regard. That will be rolled out during this year and early next year. It will provide real-time data and an upgrade of the app. When a bus is cancelled or delayed, if people know that, they can arrange alternatives. It is where a bus still shows on an app as ag teacht when it is not, that is a real problem for people. The Deputy might give me the details specifically around the L2 service because the information that I have and that I prepared for in advance of this answer is contrary to what she said. Based on what I have been told, I have no reason to disbelieve that there have been improvements over the period since these matters were raised.”
“I will chase up the 199 route. I do not have an update on it as it was not part of the question. The Deputy will understand that. I welcome feedback from all Deputies, Government or Opposition, in relation to public transport. We have made significant advances over the last five years. Public transport journey numbers bear out that people are responding to it. Of course, we are not going to resolve issues in the course of one year, but we are investing more in public transport than we have ever done before. There is very significant infrastructure investment and fleet investment too. The service elements, particularly around no-shows and reliability of service, are incredibly frustrating to passengers. What our bus operators need to understand is that these are just passengers, but customers.”
“Go-Ahead has also completed an internal review of route adherence following reports of the service not serving Sea Road on a small number of occasions, and immediate corrective actions have been implemented. There has been no recurring issue since these actions were taken. I am telling Deputy Whitmore as I have it. If she has information to the contrary, I will take it directly to the NTA. I have a real frustration with ghost buses and buses not showing up. There have been improvements in recent months countrywide but there are still some areas where there appear to be specific issues with specific routes. I continue to raise this with the NTA and bus operators. I will raise the specific matters that Deputy Whitmore has raised. I am told there has been an improvement but Deputy Whitmore is telling me there has not.”
“That is what I have been told but I have taken down the examples Deputy Whitmore has given me. Go-Ahead said that availability of fleet and staff has greatly reduced the number of lost kilometres being experienced on the route. The company has recruited a number of mechanics from overseas, which has assisted in addressing fleet reliability issues, while the number of drivers available to operate services also continues to improve. There has been strong momentum in March and the figures I have are that the L2 service has been operating at 98.33% of its contracted kilometres to date, exceeding key performance indicator, KPI, targets. Based on what Deputy Whitmore has said, we will certainly go back and check the figures but these are independent figures given to me.”
“In the budget for 2026, we secured €940 million funding for public service obligation routes and TFI services received significant funding of €658 million. We are looking to cover both of these areas and we have a 46% increase in the PSO. Specifically regarding the L2 service and the Go-Ahead contract between Glendalough and Bray, from what Deputy Whitmore has said and from my research in advance of answering the question, I appreciate that customers have experienced significant difficulties with regard to cancellation and reliability. This has now been acknowledged by the operator. It told me there were a number of factors, primarily fleet availability and staffing. The National Transport Authority has been meeting Go-Ahead on a weekly basis to review performance and work with it to develop a plan to resolve the issues.”
“People are responding but what they need is information with regard to relying on particular bus services. I am struck by what Deputy Whitmore said about 13 March, when eight buses did not show up. That is wholly unacceptable. There could be an issue from time to time with a driver being sick and no relief driver being available, but it then occurred again on St. Patrick's Day. I will make inquiries directly about the L2 service, which I will get to in a moment. I am very focused on increasing the number of people using public transport across all our operators, including bus services across the country, Local Link with which we have had great success, intercity services and rail. We are seeing people respond to this.”
“I thank Deputy Whitmore for the opportunity to discuss bus services and the future expansion of bus services in Wicklow. In many instances, good or very good services are being provided but obviously this is not the case with the L2 service, given what Deputy Whitmore has outlined. I will get to that specifically. Deputy Whitmore knows that, as Minister, I am responsible for policy and overall funding for public transport and I am not involved in day-to-day operations. Having said that, feedback like this is important. I do not welcome it, though, in the sense that I would rather there were not instances like this. Everyone will understand that from time to time issues and matters arise. Last year, we saw record-breaking numbers of PSO public transport journeys throughout the country.”
“I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, tomorrow specifically about this to see what focus can be given, particularly for this centre, and - again, not in any way to criticise the good work that has been done by those who are providing the tests - why this centre is so out of kilter with the national average. That needs to be looked at and addressed, and I will revert directly to the Deputy.”
“There has been a significant increase in applications nationwide, with about 25% more applications received by the end of February compared with the same period last year. We also see an increase in applications across the board, but there has specifically been a rise in demand for tests from holders of a third or subsequent learner permit. I think that is on foot of the changes the Government will bring forward. That in itself is to be welcomed but it certainly puts more pressure on the system. In summation, I will raise these matters directly with the RSA on the Deputy's behalf.”
“The RSA has indicated that overtime and bank holiday testing will continue throughout the course of this year. As the hour changes later this month, we can look at whether there is potential to do that further. In relation to the assignment of those new testers who will be going to the Sandyford centre, I will ask that specific question as to whether they can be used in the interim period. I know there is a training element where they are at the moment. I will certainly check that. I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. He has done a really good job on this, and I assure Deputy Ward that he has met with the RSA senior management regularly. We were able to pull this back nationally to about ten weeks and now it is up to 11.5 weeks, so we have to watch that trend.”
“As of 7 March, 194 testers were in place, and that again is a big increase. As the Deputy rightly said, there are nine driver testers based in the Dún Laoghaire-Deansgrange test centre. As regards the point the Deputy made about the number of tests we are getting through, which is not in any way to criticise the work being done, we have to see what the reason for that is, where there is a tripling of resources but not a tripling of output. There can be good reasons for that, so I want to look into that. The Deputy highlighted a very serious issue whereby this driver testing centre is way beyond the agreed national SLA of ten weeks and even on the current average now of 11.5 weeks. I will raise this directly with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. I will speak to the RSA myself on foot of Deputy Ward's question.”
“I have a degree of frustration in putting this answer on the floor because we have been aware of this issue with regard to the new test centre for some time. On foot of the Deputy's intervention this evening, I will personally make contact with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. I will see him in the morning. We need to see how we can expedite this. The new centre in Sandyford will help to relieve some of the pressure on Dún Laoghaire, but if we do not have a firm date for when that is to be open, it is all very well to say that. This needs to be concluded as soon as possible. As the Deputy mentioned, in September we conveyed sanction for an additional 70 driver testing posts on a permanent basis, bringing the total permanent sanction to 200, which represents a doubling of posts since June 2022.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, has met with RSA senior management regularly on their delivery of the driver testing service recovery plan over recent months and he has emphasised the importance of opening new testing locations to relieve pressures in high-demand areas. I am informed by the authority that the new test centre in Sandyford is at the final stages of preparation and the assigned testers are presently deployed to a nearby centre in readiness for its opening while ensuring testing volumes continue to be managed effectively. I understand, however, that the RSA is just one party to the agreement of leases and that private landlords must also go through their due diligence and assurance processes. I will be very straight with the Deputy.”
“Nationally, that has been achieved, but that is little consolation for people in Dún Laoghaire. The current national average waiting time is now 11.5 weeks, slightly above the SLA of ten weeks. I am informed by the RSA that it continues to focus on addressing centres with higher demand and wait times. The latest information provided to me by the RSA, in advance of the Deputy's question, indicates that as of 7 March the average waiting time for a driving test in Dún Laoghaire-Deansgrange was 21 weeks. I agree with the Deputy that that is not acceptable. It does mark a significant improvement on 35 weeks but it is still well above the target ten-week average wait time. I expect the RSA to continue to work to bring the wait time in this centre into line with the ten-week target as soon as possible.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht a cheist ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo. Aontaím leis go ndéanfaimid ár ndícheall chun feabhsú agus dul chun cinn a dhéanamh ar son na ndaoine i nDún Laoghaire. I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. The Deputy will be aware that under the Road Safety Authority Act, the RSA has statutory responsibility for this. We all know that. Reducing driver testing wait times has been a key priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and me, and I thank Deputy Ward for acknowledging that there has been progress across the board. In that regard, last May the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, directed the RSA to produce and publish a service recovery plan to return the national average wait time to ten weeks by the beginning of September 2025.”
“We will bring forward supports next week for households and for businesses in a targeted, structured and sustainable way so we can continue to invest in things like home retrofitting and supports for small businesses, which Deputy Doherty would scrap.”
“-----€600 million. The energy affordability task force has met on a number of occasions and brought forward preliminary reports in advance of the last budget, where we made permanent reductions in VAT down to 9%. It will be meeting again tomorrow with me chairing and we will look at further measures we will bring forward this year post this crisis. These will be done in a structured way, in a sustainable way and not done by way of a knee-jerk reaction to curry support in other areas. We take this situation very seriously and that is why we will approach this situation in a serious and structured manner.”
“Deputy Doherty and his party cannot just make up Financial Resolutions on the back of an envelope and say they will scrap supports for households of up to-----”
“Deputy Doherty is very excitable and I promise I will not interrupt him even though I might feel like I should. People will make up their own minds on what he is saying. There are many people out there who are vulnerable at the moment. Government is committed to assisting them and we will bring forward targeted measures - a number of measures - not just for households but for the sector as well. With that in mind, I met the Irish Road Haulage Association. I am meeting it tomorrow morning. I spoke with them at length last week as well. There are pressures also in relation to businesses and we need to focus this all in the round and that is exactly what we will do. While we do that we need to protect investment in our energy system, protect our economy and protect Exchequer funds as well.”
“-----and we will actually do that. What we need to do while we are doing that is ensure we continue our retrofitting programme to deliver permanent savings for households. Significant grants are there to protect households. Some 240,000 have been retrofitted so far and we are targeting another 72,000 this year. Going by what Sinn Féin has said this evening and continually over the last few days, that whole scheme would be scrapped-----”
“That also reflects the dispersed nature of our population, especially in rural areas. We import 80% to 90% of that kerosene, mainly from Britain and the EU, but they import that supply from the Middle East so there is disruption and a price pressure there.”
“On supply, we hold 90 days of stocks of oil, in line with our international commitments. NORA, which manages our State reserves, is also committed, through the International Energy Agency, IEA, announcement of a 400 million barrel release, to our equivalent of 1.6 million barrels. That contribution is approximately 10.5 days of supply. We are unquestionably unusually exposed to increases in the price of home heating oil because we are heavily reliant on kerosene for residential heating. Kerosene accounts for over 90% of home heating oil demand and about 30% of residential energy consumption, so it is a real issue. Ireland is also the largest user of kerosene for home heating in Europe. That really points to the areas we really need to assist people, as we have seen significant price increases.”
“Our job is to accelerate it to protect households and families through future crises. The one thing we are sure of is that this will not be the last crisis, so we have to accelerate the deployment of renewables. We have to continue to invest in our grid. We have to continue to invest in retrofitting. We also have to protect those who need our assistance. That is why, as has been outlined clearly by the Taoiseach, and by Tánaiste earlier this evening, the Government will be bringing forward targeted, time-bound measures that will help households and businesses. That will be done next week, in a time-bound manner so that we can keep it under review. I hope, as has been mentioned already, that the crisis will de-escalate and we will see the normalisation of supply.”
“This year, we are targeting 73,000 home upgrades. We have changed our grants and made them more accessible. They are critical to ensuring households can have reduced energy bills and are more resilient against future shocks. Looking at this year, €558 million in Exchequer funding is being provided to home energy supports and business supports. That directly comes from the carbon tax. It is ring-fenced for that. Where would Sinn Féin get the money? Would it scrap the retrofit programme? These are permanent savings. I, like many in the Government and many of the Opposition parties, think we have a system under which carbon tax can be focused on those who need it most through such schemes as the warmer homes scheme, under which there were 13,000 more fully funded home upgrades this year. We will continue to do that.”
“We will do more, including the introduction of private wires, unprecedented investment in our grid of up to €18.9 billion, which will allow additional renewables to be built and the distribution of their energy into our system, and close collaboration with all of the sector. We need to see projects like the North-South interconnector built. It will bring average savings per household of more than €100 per annum. It is critical we do this. In addition, we are investing a record amount in home retrofitting and business supports. Like many Government Deputies and many of the Opposition, I am completely opposed to removing the carbon tax. Why do I say that? It is because since 2019, Governments have been able to provide 240,000 energy upgrades to homes. We are looking at permanent savings of up to €1,100.”
“Specifically in reference to fossil fuels, I am firmly of the belief that our island nation must continue to increase our renewable energy capacity and reduce the impact of fossil fuel prices and volatility on energy prices in Ireland. Last week, we reached a significant milestone of 8 GW of renewable energy and energy capacity installed in Ireland and we are already seeing the impact of renewables on prices with what energy renewables are producing. We must continue to accelerate that. I want to increase that by building more renewable capacity and more storage. We have more than 1 GW of long-duration battery storage, which helps us to distribute the energy at the appropriate times.”
“I have also written to retail electricity and gas suppliers, as well as to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, and fuel suppliers to emphasise the importance of reducing the exposure of Irish consumers to price shocks that global uncertainty can create and is creating and to ensure Irish consumers are supported to the greatest possible extent throughout this uncertain period. However, Ireland faces particular challenges in energy costs as a result of long-standing factors, including our isolated island location, low levels of interconnection, our population settlements and historic reliance on fossil fuels that is diminishing year on year.”
“At my request last week, the energy security group met to assess the implications of the conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf region and to ensure the Government is fully informed of ongoing developments in global energy markets. The group reviewed current supply and pricing conditions for oil, gas and electricity and heard from the fuel industry representative body. It was noted that appropriate contingency arrangements were in place across the energy sector.”
“Energy prices and the impact this most recent conflict has had on them are of deep concern to me and to the broader Government. I assure people that the Government understands the pressures families and businesses are under. I have engaged today again with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste on a Government response to the areas that are under the most acute pressure. As the Taoiseach and Tánaiste outlined, this work will be finalised next week and we expect it to come to the Cabinet on Tuesday. It will set out the interventions we will make in a targeted and time-bound way that will assist those who need it most. We must also be aware that this situation is ever evolving. From the outset of the conflict, it has been clear that it presents serious challenges and risks from an energy perspective.”
“I thank Deputies for the opportunity to discuss the pressures Irish households are facing as a result of high energy costs. I have listened intently to the contributions this evening. I assure Deputies that the current crisis is of deep concern to the Government, as has been articulated very well by Government colleagues and, to be fair, Opposition colleagues this evening. I know everyone shares the Government's concern about the humanitarian impact of the conflict and our desire, as Deputy Callaghan said, to see a de-escalation. In addition to the significant humanitarian impacts, we have seen significant disruption and uncertainty, which has resulted in impacts on global energy supply and on us in Ireland as it has on every other country. This is not a matter unique to us.”
“We have to recognise that, as our population is growing, our system is growing too. The 363.5 million public passenger journeys last year is a record number. That is a good thing and I know the Deputy fully supports that. We will look at the specific issues with the routes the Deputy mentioned. I will feed that in and I am sure the Deputy has done so already. We will always have work to do to roll out those improvements. We are ambitious as a Government to see public transport options increased for our citizens and improvements made to existing routes and new routes. We have to balance that with how we can pay for it. It is also appropriate that we do that. Things are going in the right direction. There are issues with specific routes. I have spent quite some time this morning answering questions on those.”
“The Nitelink services exist but I have also asked the rail and Luas operators to see whether there is any additional headroom where we could provide additional times at certain periods of the year.”
“Those 15 routes I referred to are up and running. They are 24-hour routes. Going back five years, we did not have any 24-hour routes. The Deputy is right that we need to support the economy. More people would go out in our city if it was easier to access. It is getting better. Of course we are looking for other opportunities for routes, with more 24-hour routes. Obviously they have to be paid for too. I mentioned in response to colleagues earlier that we have to manage our new routes and improvements to existing routes within the envelope of the PSO that we have. This issue is genuinely kept under review. I, like the Deputy, know the city well. It has bounced back post Covid but it could do with more help. Our taxi fleet has unquestionably improved.”
“While I know we have a short window for maintenance of tracks, which we need to do for safety reasons, we might look at further weekends in the year when we could extend the rail and Luas services. They are constrained more than the buses because we have to maintain the tracks and rolling stock, but I have asked both companies if there is any other flex or other opportunities to provide additional services that bit later on certain weekends.”
“In addition to those 15 24-hour routes, we have 12 Nitelink services which run from the city centre to the suburbs on Friday and Saturday nights, providing extra capacity during peak late-night demand periods. Iarnród Éireann operates all available trains across the network daily to meet the record demand it is seeing on all routes. This is outside of required maintenance cycles to ensure fleet reliability, and any repair works which may be taking place. However, over periods such as St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas and new year, Iarnród Éireann puts on additional late-night services to accommodate passengers. I asked the company if there is any more flexibility, recognising that we do more with the buses. Fifteen 24-hour routes and 12 Nitelink routes are great and support the night-time economy.”
“I thank Deputy O'Connell for raising this really important issue in terms of the extension of service operating hours and the BusConnects network redesign. As she is no doubt aware, it is a transformative programme of investment in our bus system aimed at improving public transport across the city by strengthening the existing system through enhanced services with high-frequency spines and new local orbital and radial roots. As part of that redesign, the NTA has introduced 15 24-hour bus services across the city in recent years. That significantly enhances both late night and early morning travel options. It has allowed more people, particularly night time and shift workers, to use and avail of public transport services.”
“We obviously have to work with the NTA because it sets the routes, but I will certainly engage with the Deputy directly on this. I know how important it is to him. To be fair, he has been advocating for it on a regular basis.”
“At the end of quarter 1 when we have the submissions back, we will have a look at it. One thing is, with the PSO, which underpins many public transport services because we have expanded them so greatly, myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, were able to secure a significant increase in the base in the PSO. This still means we have to manage new routes in the context of our overall allocation. The point the Deputy has made very clearly is very valid. The existing four-time-a-day service is working very well. If we need additional services, which the Deputy has advocated for also, that also needs to be looked at in the round too. What I commit to doing is, when this submission review has been completed, we will get a copy.”
“The Deputy has very clearly articulated the fact the 425A service is working well and people do not want to see a change being made to it. I am sure that will be borne out in the submissions. I assure the Deputy that he and I will work directly on it.”
“The Deputy has been and remains a very strong advocate for improving public transport in his constituency and the Galway area. I commend him on that and I will work with him in this regard. Thankfully, the Government, of which he is a member, is investing in public transport at a rate never seen before. What really pleases me is the investment in our regions as well. It is not east coast-centric or Dublin-centric where it may have been with some other initiatives. We are looking at regional development. I asked the NTA about it yesterday. We are looking at the end of quarter 1 for conclusion of the review of the submissions, which is the end of next month. I will give it that time and then we will assess it.”
“We also have to take into account the views of the operators and how we can provide a better service for people. I will keep the Deputy directly informed on this. I expect to get a date for when the submissions are finalised. Then we can move on and have a look at it and see what the construct of the service will be then.”
“The proposal consists of the rerouting of the existing 425A through Athenry and the introduction of a new route, 416, between Athenry and Tuam. There were over 100 submissions, which is good. I know the Deputy has been to the forefront of this as well. They are being assessed now. I have to give them a little bit of time, although not an inordinate amount of time because people need to act quickly. On foot of the Deputy's question, which I thank him for, I can say that we discussed this with the NTA and my team yesterday, which the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, will tell him, in preparation for this. I have asked for an update on when we are coming back with the assessment of the submissions. It is good that is done because we have to take people's views into account.”
“Deputy Dolan and I have discussed this route before. The Department of Transport, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I are acutely aware of this. We have seen good increases across the rural transport network and they are very important links. I have mentioned to other Deputies and colleagues that when we look at public transport usage, we see that 363.5 million people used it last year. People are responding both in urban and rural areas when the services are there. Regarding the 425A route between Galway and Mountbellew, the NTA was proposing to amend the bus network - we discussed this and the Deputy has concerned around that - serving Athenry. The recently published consultation closed on 9 January of this year. I am telling the Deputy things he already knows. I know them too and I want him to be assured of that.”
“I know Deputy O'Rourke, Deputy Aisling Dempsey, the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, have all been working very closely together, to be fair, advocating for the people of Meath on this and the difference that it will make. We will have this funded. What we have to do is really watch this project as it moves through. Meath is in the greater Dublin area framework of the transport investment strategy and it is listed in the NPD. Let us get a consultation done, get people engaged with it, get it into planning, get it out of planning by 2029, and get on with building this transformational project.”
“The Deputy is right; we can control the controllables. It is funded right the way up to planning and we will get it through planning. We often talk about the NDP going to 2030. Of the €104.25 billion investment, one quarter of that is for public transport. If we look out to 2035, the figure is €245 billion. Thanks to the hard work of our people and good economic management, we will have the capital to actually deliver these projects. By the way, I do not look at them just from an expenditure perspective. It is also about what they will deliver in economic terms. That investment will pay back in spades to the Exchequer.”