Written Answers Nos. 477-496
477. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Transport the steps being taken by his Department to support the development and promotion of greenways as tourism and regional economic assets; how these supports are contributing to sustainable tourism and local enterprise in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2146/26]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for the overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to national and regional greenways. The planning, design and construction of individual greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in conjunction with the relevant local authority as the Sponsoring Agency responsible for delivery.
There is a commitment within the Programme for Government to ‘develop a connected network of greenways and cycle routes across Ireland’ signalling this Government’s commitment to progress Greenway routes. This is supported by the National Development Plan Transport Sectoral Plan, published in November 2025, which committed €360 million per annum for active travel and Greenways until 2030.
The primary focus of my Department via TII is to support the delivery of Greenway infrastructure ensuring continuous routes exceeding 20km that connect our towns and villages. Funding support has and will continue to be provided by TII to sponsoring authorities to fund ancillary infrastructure such as seating areas, bike stands, information stands and car parking facilities. Considerable resources have been invested to ensure that Greenway routes are fully accessible - to provide a user-friendly and low risk environment for all abilities they must adhere to strict standards of width, gradient and surface condition with appropriate traffic signalling at junctions to facilitate safe passage for all users. My Department intends to launch a Greenways website in 2026 which will offer accurate and timely information to visitors on individual routes in a consistent format.
My officials have a good working relationship with colleagues in Fáilte Ireland who are tasked with the promotion of greenways as a tourism asset with regularly scheduled meetings to ensure good lines of communication.
Greenways have been a tremendous success for rural Ireland in showcasing our beautiful landscape, bringing visitors to previously overlooked areas as well as providing economic opportunities to communities. While Greenways are an important leisure facility, they deliver an array of benefits including providing safe, healthy and sustainable options to facilitate everyday journeys whether that be commutes, trips to the shops or school journeys.
478. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Transport his plans to amend the Road Traffic Act 2016 to include nitrous oxide on the list of offences involving certain drugs for the purpose of road side testing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73873/25]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that officials from my Department meet regularly with An Garda Síochána and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS) to discuss matters related to drug-driving. As with any legislation, I consider feedback on its operation from An Garda Siochana and other stakeholders and act if it is clear that improvements can be made. I can confirm however that there are no plans at present to amend the Road Traffic Act to include nitrous oxide on the list of intoxicants for road side testing.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind all drivers that driving under the influence of drugs is an extremely serious offence that poses a direct threat to the lives of other road users. It is the personal responsibility of every driver to refrain from driving if there is the slightest risk he or she might be impaired owing to intoxicants.
479. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the current status of the Luas tram procurement programme announced by Transport Infrastructure Ireland in August 2023; if a contract has been awarded; the stage the procurement is now at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73877/25]
View answer480. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the number of Luas trams ordered to date under the Luas tram procurement programme; the number of trams planned to be ordered in total; the number that will be replacement vehicles; and the number that will represent net additional capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73878/25]
View answer481. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the expected delivery schedule for the new Luas trams, including the anticipated delivery date of the first tram; the phased delivery timetable thereafter; and the expected date on which the trams will enter passenger service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73879/25]
View answer482. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport if any delays have arisen in the procurement, manufacture or delivery of the new Luas trams to date; if so, the reasons for those delays; the revised timelines involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73880/25]
View answer483. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the plans in place for future ordering of additional Luas trams beyond the current procurement, having regard to passenger demand, projected population growth and planned Luas extensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73881/25]
View answer485. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport if Transport Infrastructure Ireland has assessed the resilience of the Luas electrical infrastructure; the upgrades or investments planned to improve system redundancy and reliability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73883/25]
View answer486. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the options Transport Infrastructure Ireland has examined to allow Luas services to continue operating during electrical power failures, including the potential use of battery electric or alternative traction trams, onboard energy storage, or other technological solutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73884/25]
View answer488. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the total projected cost of the Luas tram procurement programme, including associated infrastructure and electrical upgrades; the way this investment is being funded within the capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73886/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 479 to 483, inclusive, 485, 486 and 488 together.
As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure including light rail.
Noting the NTA's responsibility, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
484. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the contingency arrangements in place to maintain Luas services in the event of electrical faults or power supply failures, such as those experienced on the network in recent weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73882/25]
View answer487. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the service continuity plans in place for passengers during major Luas disruptions, including the provision of replacement bus services, passenger information systems and communication protocols; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73885/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 484 and 487 together.
As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.
As the Deputy is aware, a power failure occurred on the Luas Green line at 8.44 am on the 10th of December 2025, during peak travel times. The Luas network operates on a fail-safe design, meaning that if any unusual, irregular or unsafe condition is detected, the system automatically shuts down power and stops tram movements. Transdev was able to re-energise overhead lines and resume passenger service at 6pm on 11th December evening, restoring full Green Line service from Bridges Glen to Broombridge.
During the outage, I understand that Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland provided additional services on key routes to assist with the commute in the city, and that all Luas tickets were accepted by bus operators.
Further information on contingency arrangements and service continuity plans would be a matter for Transdev to provide. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's questions to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
489. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the situation in relation to the use of Class I Urban vehicles on motorways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73889/25]
View answer493. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he is concerned that the driver of a Class I urban bus is sitting in a vehicle with significantly less frontal crash protection than a coach; if such vehicles should be routinely used on motorways and roads with speed limits in excess of 65KMH; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73895/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 489 and 493 together.
As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that, like all buses, class I vehicles must conform with the legislative standards as outlined below. For this reason, I am satisfied that current restrictions to a maximum speed of 65 k/h are sufficient to protect the driver, and furthermore, as the buses are required to meet UN and EU safety standards, I do not see any significant safety issues arising.
Class I buses are referenced in type approval Regulation (EU) 2018/858, eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/858/oj/eng, under Categories M2 and M3 where "variant" references the classes in UN Regulation 107, which defines class I buses as class 1 vehicles constructed with areas for standing passengers, to allow frequent passenger movement.
Class 1 standee buses, which are typically the urban buses used by Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead in Dublin City Centre, must be limited to 65 kmh, whether in urban areas or on the motorway network.
All new category M vehicles must meet the type-approval requirements set out in Regulation (EU) 2018/858, eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/858/oj/eng, and the General Safety Regulations (Regulation (EU) 2019/2144). These regulations set requirements to certify that a model of a vehicle meets all EU safety, environmental and conformity of production requirements before allowing it to be placed on the EU market.
Regulation (EU) 2018/858, eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/858/oj/eng, is transposed in Ireland via SI 556/2020 - European Union (Road Vehicles: Type-Approval and Market Surveillance) Regulations 2020, www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2020/si/556/made/en/print?q=556. In addition, SI 201 of 2024 amends SI 556/2020 to give full effect to Regulation 2019/2144.
490. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he has received any legal advice in relation to Bus Éireann’s insurance policies in the event of a fatality involving a Class I ‘urban’ bus operating on a 100km/h or 120km/h road; and if he is aware that the regulatory exemption for seatbelts on these vehicles is predicated on the strict assumption that they remain in low-speed urban environments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73891/25]
View answer491. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he has concerns in relation to the practice of Bus Eireann in deploying Class I urban buses on Route 105X, which is an express service operating on motorways; if the RSA is aware of this policy in operating such buses on motorways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73892/25]
View answer492. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he is concerned at the fact that Route 115 (Mullingar-Dublin), has recorded 459 instances of Class 1 urban buses being used on the high-speed M4 corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73894/25]
View answer495. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if following the tragic loss of six lives in bus related accidents since 1 November 2025, he will intervene to direct the National Transport Authority and Bus Éireann to immediately cease the deployment of taxpayer funded PSO buses classified as Class I urban vehicles which are mechanically speed limited to 65 km per hour and designed for low speed stop start urban operation onto roads with speed limits above 80 km per hour [73897/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 490 to 492, inclusive, and 495 together.
As Minister for Transport, I wish to advise that like all buses, Class I vehicles must conform with strict standards as outlined below. For this reason, I am satisfied that current restrictions to a maximum speed of 65 kmph is sufficient to protect the driver, and furthermore, as the buses are required to meet UN and EU safety standards, no safety issues have arisen or have been brought to my attention.
Class 1 standee buses, which are typically the urban buses used by Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead in Dublin City Centre, must be limited to 65 kmph, whether in urban areas or on the motorway network.
All new category M vehicles must meet the type-approval requirements as set out in EU Regulations 2018/8585 and 2019/2144, which set requirements to certify that a model of a vehicle meets all EU safety, environmental and conformity of production requirements before allowing it to be placed on the EU market. These Regulations are transposed in Ireland via S.I. No. 556/2020 and SI 201 of 2024.
In regard to the Deputy's statement on road traffic accidents, I would like to highlight that the fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030 sets a target to halve deaths and serious injuries by the end of this decade and to move towards Vision Zero by 2050. The Phase 2 Action Plan was published in July 2025 and will run to December 2027. The Phase 2 Action Plan contains 12 primary actions and 77 supporting actions with the potential to deliver transformative change. These actions are grounded in the internationally recognised Safe Systems approach and includes actions under each of the seven priority intervention areas. This includes actions under the ‘Safe Vehicles’, ‘Safe and Healthy modes of Travel and ‘Safe Work-related Road Use’ strands. Each of these actions will be delivered through partnership and collaborative working by road safety stakeholders with public transport companies - Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann - leading on the delivery of a number of important supporting actions designed to enhance safety on our roads.
Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has the statutory responsibility role to carry out road safety research. The Deputy may also note that workplace and employee health and safety is a matter for the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) which reports to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
As a number of queries raised by the Deputy are operational matters for Bus Éireann, I have, referred the Deputy's questions to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
494. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will instruct the NTA or the RSA to conduct an investigation into the use of unbelted Urban class 1 bus vehicles on motorways and roads with speed limits in excess of 65kMH and the possible impact on the health and safety of the bus drivers operating such services as well as that of the passengers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73896/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I wish to advise that like all buses, Class I vehicles must conform with strict standards as outlined below. For this reason, I am satisfied that current restrictions to a maximum speed of 65 kmph is sufficient to protect the driver, and furthermore, as the buses are required to meet UN and EU safety standards, no safety issues have arisen or have been brought to my attention.
Class 1 standee buses, which are typically the urban buses used by Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead in Dublin City Centre, must be limited to 65 kmph, whether in urban areas or on the motorway network.
All new category M vehicles must meet the type-approval requirements as set out in EU Regulations 2018/8585 and 2019/2144, which set requirements to certify that a model of a vehicle meets all EU safety, environmental and conformity of production requirements before allowing it to be placed on the EU market. These Regulations are transposed in Ireland via S.I. No. 556/2020 and SI 201 of 2024.
In regard to the Deputy's statement on road traffic accidents, I would like to highlight that the fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030 sets a target to halve deaths and serious injuries by the end of this decade and to move towards Vision Zero by 2050. The Phase 2 Action Plan was published in July 2025 and will run to December 2027. The Phase 2 Action Plan contains 12 primary actions and 77 supporting actions with the potential to deliver transformative change. These actions are grounded in the internationally recognised Safe Systems approach and includes actions under each of the seven priority intervention areas. This includes actions under the ‘Safe Vehicles’, ‘Safe and Healthy modes of Travel and ‘Safe Work-related Road Use’ strands. Each of these actions will be delivered through partnership and collaborative working by road safety stakeholders with public transport companies - Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann - leading on the delivery of a number of important supporting actions designed to enhance safety on our roads.
Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has the statutory responsibility role to carry out road safety research. The Deputy may also note that workplace and employee health and safety is a matter for the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) which reports to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Given the NTA's responsibility for PSO services and RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the the agencies for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
496. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware that the National Transport Authority’s own Transport for Ireland Real Time Vehicle Location data also known as the Automatic Vehicle Location or GTFS Realtime feed publicly published by the Authority confirms that during the period from 1 January 2025 to 1 December 2025 these taxpayer funded PSO buses specifically models such as the Volvo B5TL Wright Gemini 3 double decker were rostered 17064 times on Route 103 Dublin to Ashbourne alone and were also routinely deployed on the intercity Route 115 Dublin to Mullingar requiring sustained operation on roads with speed limits of 100 km per hour and 120 km per hour. [73898/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling, timetabling, and deployment of fleet for these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.
In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
