Pa Daly
Question:40. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to increase funding for public transport to maintain the 2:1 ratio; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15269/26]
View answerWednesday, 25 February 2026
Questions (40)
Written answers
As the Deputy may be aware, this Government has committed a very significant investment in public transport over the period to 2030.
The Review of the National Development Plan (NDP) allocated €22.3 billion in Exchequer resources to Transport from 2026 to 2030, with an additional allocation of €2 billion from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to support the development of MetroLink.
Under the previous Government there was a commitment in relation to a 2:1 ratio in favour of new public transport infrastructure over new roads. This ratio excluded investment in the protection and renewal of existing public transport and roads assets, which is substantial. The NDP Sectoral Plan for Transport for 2026-2030,published in November 2025, contains a funding ratio of at 2:1 in favour of new public transport over roads projects.
The NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport for 2026-2030 sees funding of circa €10 billion for public transport infrastructure from 2026 to 2030, with an additional €2 billion for MetroLink. The total funding provided in the NDP Sectoral Implementation Plan will see significant advancements made in a number of public transport projects, including commencing construction on the DART+ Programme, purchase of new DART carriages, continuation of Cork Area Commuter Rail, investments in the national rail system, commencement of MetroLink and the Luas Finglas extension, and progression of BusConnects across five cities including the construction of multiple Core Bus Corridors in Dublin.