My Department is developing Ireland’s National Building Renovation Plan which will outline the approach to ensuring the renovation of the national stock of residential and non-residential buildings, both public and private, into a highly energy-efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050, with the objective of transforming existing buildings into zero-emission buildings.

As part of our role in the coordination and development of this plan, my Department is currently in the final stages of collating the most up to date information by working alongside other Departments and bodies in the consideration of policies and measures, including those required under the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, to be included in the plan.

It is anticipated that a draft version of the National Building Renovation Plan will be submitted to the European Commission in the coming months. Once that has been completed, a public consultation on a draft version of the plan will take place later this year, before submission of a finalised plan.

The public consultation will allow all stakeholders to share their views on the draft version of the plan, including individuals and groups most impacted by energy poverty. The public consultation will be well publicised to ensure all stakeholders are aware of the time window to provide their views. Once the public consultation is completed, all views will be considered and incorporated as appropriate into a final version of the National Building Renovation Plan.

The Programme for Government commits to providing warmer, more comfortable and energy-efficient homes while reducing energy bills, cutting emissions and lowering reliance on fossil fuels. The Government’s National Residential Retrofit Plan, published at end January 2026, supports this commitment by setting out key retrofit policies and measures across four key pillars: driving demand and activity; financing and funding; supply chain, skills and standards; and governance.

Increased annual financial allocations set out in the National Residential Retrofit Plan underlines the Government’s commitment to progressing our evolving national and EU commitments, and has enabled capacity within the retrofit sector to grow substantially in recent years.

Between 2019 and the end of 2025, the Government has invested almost €1.7 billion through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) retrofit schemes to support upgrades in over 244,000 homes, including over 33,500 fully funded upgrades under the Warmer Homes Scheme. In this period, output has increased from a base of 24,776 retrofits in 2019 to 58,000 home energy upgrades delivered in 2025, including 8,000 free full home upgrades under the Warmer Homes Scheme for households at risk of energy poverty.

In 2026, a budget allocation of €640 million has been provided for the SEAI's residential and community schemes, targeting over 73,000 home energy upgrades, further building momentum.

The new and increased grant rates I announced in January 2026 include: the heat pump grant rising to €12,500; increased attic and cavity insulation grants; new grants for windows and doors; and higher wall insulation grants for first time buyers. All of these will help put homeowners on the pathway to decarbonising their homes.

The increase in number of homes upgraded follows a range of measures introduced by my Department and the SEAI. These include the allocation of additional staff and active contractor engagement by the SEAI to significantly increase the number, capacity, and quality of contractors to meet the increasing appetite of homeowners who want to upgrade their homes. To this end, the SEAI is actively seeking and accepting registrations from manufacturers, distributors, and installers of windows and doors to join their approved contractor list, with some 300 having registered to date. This initiative is part of the new 2026 Windows and Doors Grant Scheme, aimed at enhancing home energy efficiency through registered contractors.

In addition to increasing and expanding grant supports for homeowners, the Government has taken tangible steps to expand the retrofit workforce, including the establishment of six Retrofit Centres of Excellence.

The budget of up to €3.7 billion to the end of the decade, supplemented by allocations from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), will enable the supply chains and contractor capacity continue to strengthen, gain in confidence, grow, take on staff, and further invest and innovate.

My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), to support homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their dwellings. These include SEAI part-funded schemes which offer grants for individuals who can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades, as well as fully-funded energy upgrades for people at risk of energy poverty through the Warmer Homes Scheme.

As Minister, I have no function in relation to individual grant applications. The SEAI handle operational matters for schemes, and they will have all the information regarding any application. Applicants can contact the SEAI directly to get an update on the status of their applications by phone on 01808 2100 or by email to info@seai.ie. Oireachtas members can make queries on behalf of applicants by contacting the dedicated email address oireachtas@seai.ie.

I am advised that my Department has not made a disclosure under Revenue's recent disclosure opportunity published on 15 January 2026.

With respect to the agencies and bodies under my Department's aegis, the information sought in the Question is an operational matter for each of the State Agencies concerned and as such it is not information held by my Department. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the Agencies directly in relation to this matter.

The full list of Agencies and their contact emails are attached.

The scientific advice informing measures for 2026 is provided by the Technical Group on Salmon (TEGOS), in its Status of Irish Salmon Stocks in 2026 with Catch Advice for 2026.

Stocks are assessed by TEGOS over the most recent five-year period, using an established, science-based methodology that is applied consistently across all salmon rivers. This methodology draws on best available information from a range of sources, including fish counter data, catch data and catchment wide electrofishing (CWEF) surveys. No single dataset determines the stock status of a river.

It is acknowledged that, in any given year, operational or environmental factors can influence data input and, for example, periods of low rainfall may affect river conditions and monitoring activities. However, this does not represent a weakness in the assessment system. The TEGOS framework is designed to take such variability into account, by using multiple indicators and by applying standardised assumptions that ensure consistency and comparability across river systems and years. The indicators and assumptions used in the assessment are set out in the general methodology sections of the TEGOS Report, which describe the data sources, modelling approach and assumptions that are applied.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 97 and 98 together.

The closure the River Boyne to salmon angling is proposed in the draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2026 which have been the subject of two public consultations. The first public consultation was completed in late 2025, and the second consultation recently ended on 5 March 2026. Both consultations ran for a 30-day period as is required under the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 and the Department received a significant volume of submissions.

Overall, the status of rivers as open, catch-and-release only, or closed is based on a river-by-river scientific stock assessments carried out by the Technical Expert Group of Salmon (TEGOS). The TEGOS report for 2026 indicates that the Boyne salmon stock is meeting only 10% of its conservation limit and the scientific advice is that the river is closed to fishing. The status of the river will be reviewed annually by TEGOS, and the river may reopen once stocks improve and are assessed as meeting their conservation limit.

The proposed closure of the Boyne was first notified to anglers, through public consultation in November 2025, thereby providing adequate notice for anglers in their consideration of purchasing a licence for the 2026 season. I have been advised by IFI that angling licence sales for the 2026 season opened in December in response to angler demand. IFI’s Online Salmon Shop webpage (https://store.fishinginireland.info/) contains a ‘banner notice’ informing anglers that the 2025 status for open, closed and catch-and-release rivers and bye-laws remain in place while the 2026 measures are under consideration.

There is also a long-established principle that anglers must comply with the legal requirements applicable at the relevant time and the advance purchase of a licence does not confer any entitlement to fish otherwise than in accordance with the regulations and bye-laws in force at the time of fishing.

Notwithstanding the above, I recognise the disappointment of the local angling community who fish the River Boyne but I would emphasise that this proposed measure is necessary to ensuring sustainability of the species in this fishery.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 131 together.

The National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) has operational responsibility for the day-to-day management of the State’s Strategic Oil Reserve. NORA currently holds 90 days of oil stocks. NORA stores petrol, diesel and kerosene, and does not maintain physical stocks of biofuels, fuel oil or crude oil. NORA’s oil is stored in various port locations throughout the island of Ireland, with the balance held in a small number of EU Member States. The locations at which NORA’s oil is stored are monitored under tight security in accordance with normal industry standards.

As the Deputy may be aware, member countries of the IEA have agreed to initiate an action to release Strategic Oil Reserves to address the supply issues that are emerging on foot of the conflict in the Middle East. Ireland's contribution to an IEA 400-million-barrel release is approximately 1.6 million barrels. That level of contribution equates to approximately 10.5 days of supply. On behalf of Government, I have written to NORA on operationalising this release.

Oil markets are responding to developments arising from the conflict in the Middle East and the Government is extremely conscious of the impact that the global spike in oil prices is having on people and businesses across the country.

My Department is working with the International Energy Agency (IEA), the European Commission and Member States as part of a co-ordinated response to these developments, including the recently announced IEA release of international strategic oil reserves.

In June last year, my Department established the National Energy Affordability Taskforce to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses while delivering key renewables commitments, and protecting security of supply and economic stability. The Taskforce membership includes representatives of various Government Departments and key energy sector stakeholders.

The focus of the Taskforce is the preparation of an Energy Affordability Action Plan to be completed in Q3. The Action Plan will include a review of cost drivers within the energy sector and consideration of how the EU Action Plan for Affordable Energy and associated guidance can be implemented in an Irish context.

To ensure that the domestic fuel market operates in the interest of consumers, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, has responsibility for ensuring that the market is functioning correctly and that consumers are not being unfairly disadvantaged.

The course of action referred to in the Question is not being considered due to the impacts it would have on human health and the environment.

The Programme for Government outlines the Government's policy position in relation energy policy, housing policy, climate policy, FDI growth and the many other goals and objectives. It reflects the balance between the many opportunities and challenges facing the country and the actions that will be taken over the lifetime of this Government. It recognises that increased and unprecedented investment and delivery in our grid and expanding our energy generation capacity is a priority.

Notwithstanding this, the Programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and businesses. Government has introduced a suite of measures over recent years to help households and businesses deal with the cost of energy, including taxation and energy incentives, and accelerating the rollout of more renewable energy infrastructure to support a decarbonised electricity system. My Department has also established the National Energy Affordability Taskforce to identify, assess and implement further measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses.

Data centres are critical infrastructure for our modern economy, economic growth, and the delivery of public services. They provide the foundation for almost all online aspects of our lives. The Government is committed to delivering a balanced approach to facilitate additional demand for energy by data centres while also ensuring the competitiveness of our energy system to enhance security and affordability for consumers and businesses. To this end, the Large Energy User Action Plan published in January will guide the sustainable development of strategically significant energy intensive industries, including data centres, in alignment with Ireland’s broader Government objectives. In addition, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities' (CRU) 2025 Large Energy Users Connection Policy provides increased transparency in respect of new data centre connection obligations establishing a pathway for connection that addresses security of supply and network constraint considerations, while promoting Ireland’s renewable energy ambitions.

Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas retail markets is assigned to the CRU. Prices are set by all suppliers based on commercial and operational considerations. Electricity network tariffs recover the costs of developing, operating and maintaining the network from users connected to the electricity system. The CRU have commenced an electricity network tariff review which will consider the potential structural reviews to ensure continued equitable balance across different user groups.

The key role of citizens and communities in achieving environmental and climate goals is valued and understood by Government. My Department engages with several groups involved in promoting citizen science. The work of these groups contribute to our understanding of our natural environment and the responses necessary for its protection.

In 2025, €3.127 million was provided through the Circular Economy Fund to the Irish Environmental Network (IEN), an umbrella organisation whose 41 members are nationally active environmental NGOs.

Examples of IEN member organisations that ran successful citizen science projects include:

• Birdwatch Ireland where citizen science is a key input into the annual Irish Garden Bird Survey;

• Irish Wildlife Trust where volunteers contribute citizen science data identifying species including plants and insects;

• Native Woodland Trust where citizen science has contributed to the search for potentially disease-resistant Wych Elm trees; and

• Sonairte, an organisation which mobilises citizen science in the recording of outdoor air quality.

Other IEN members using citizen science and who benefit from this funding include An Taisce, Green Economy Foundation, Green Sod Ireland, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Vincent Wildlife Trust and Leave No Trace.

Furthermore, strand 2 of the Community Climate Action Programme, funded by my Department’s Climate Action Fund, supports projects that enable local climate action. One of these, Beaches & Dunes for Climate Adaptation, delivers training for community groups on how to protect and enhance beach and dune ecosystems as a nature-based solution to coastal flooding and erosion. One output is an online citizen science map to collect data on dune ecosystems.

The EPA, which operates independently under my Department, is active in several important projects which use citizen science to collect data on projects in areas such as clean air and water, sustainable living, and biodiversity monitoring and mapping.

The Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce (“ARE Taskforce”), comprising some 12 Government Departments and State Agencies, has met regularly since its inception in 2023 to monitor and progress actions.

The Pillars and working groups of the ARE Taskforce meet on a regular basis to deliver on the annual taskforce work programme. In addition, the ARE Taskforce PMO meets with industry representative bodies regularly to allow for engagement to deliver on objectives and associated timelines and address barriers affecting achievement of onshore renewable electricity targets.

The dates of each ARE Taskforce meeting and a breakdown of its membership are included in the attached document.

ARE Taskforce Meeting Dates

ARE Taskforce Membership

As part of Budget 2025, the Government approved a new tranche of Electricity Credits, the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme IV through which over 2.2 million households received two payments of €125 (inclusive of VAT) in the November/December 2024 and January/February 2025 billing cycles, at a total estimated cost of €570 million (excluding VAT).

The scheme was operated by the Distribution System Operator (ESB Networks) and electricity suppliers, and overseen by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.

The Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme IV came into effect on the commencement of the Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Act 2024 on 17 October 2024. Under Section 4(1)(a) of the Act and in line with the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme Regulations 2024, ESB Networks in its role as the Distribution System Operator was required to determine the number of domestic electricity accounts on the scheme's "relevant date" on the 22 October 2024.

Following this determination, ESB Networks issued notification that there were 2,237,381 Meter Point Reference Numbers (MPRNs) registered on the Central Market System with a classification of domestic customer at that time.

ESB Networks further notified the Minister on 20 December 2024 (Effective Date) that the number of registered MPRNs on the Central Market System with a classification of urban domestic customers (DG1) or rural domestic customers (DG2) had increased to 2,243,950.

Across the two payment periods of the Act, a total of 4,255,753 credits were granted to eligible domestic electricity accounts, worth a combined value of €488,049,754.04. A total of 226,269 credits, worth a combined €25,948,528.92, remained unallocated and were returned by suppliers to ESBN for onward transfer to my Department.

Aside from the 191,611 credits across the two payment periods that were designated for low-usage customers and remained unallocated, 34,646 credits remained unallocated due to the supplier allocated with the credits being unable to identify an account holder for the respective MPRNs.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 to 114, inclusive, and 116 and 117 together.

My Department is acutely aware that with the scale of distributed renewable electricity generation sources coming forward, the grid needs to be more flexible to account for the intermittent nature of renewables. Moreover, for the decarbonisation pathway to be efficient, our energy system must be smart. A smart and flexible energy system will reduce consumer energy bills by reducing the amount of generation and network assets that need to be built to meet peak demand. Consequently, the deployment and integration of energy smart appliances, such as electric vehicle charge points, domestic battery energy storage systems, heat pumps, and hot water heating solutions, is a crucial step for empowering households and businesses to play a central role in Ireland’s energy transition.

EnergyCloud is a privately-organised and funded social enterprise, and my Department is not in a position to assess savings associated with the programme, or the characteristics of beneficiaries of the programme to date. Officials from my Department have met with EnergyCloud on a number of occasions, and will continue to engage with EnergyCloud and other relevant stakeholders to identify areas for cooperation in relation to tackling energy poverty and renewable energy waste

A new Demonstration and Innovation Delivery Programme is under development by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland with the intention of identifying solutions to smart energy challenges, testing applications and assessing impacts. This will be crucial for the successful integration of flexible energy assets in homes, businesses and communities and will ensure that these assets can optimise energy use for consumers, as well as allow consumers to participate in flexible demand management services as these become available.

The National Energy Affordability Taskforce has also been established by my Department to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses, while delivering key renewable commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability. It will consider the use of smart technologies to benefit energy poor households and other vulnerable citizens.

The First Report of the Taskforce set out measures for consideration in the Budget 2026 process. The focus of the Taskforce has now turned to the preparation of an Energy Affordability Action Plan to be completed in Q3. The Action Plan will include a review of cost drivers within the energy sector and consideration of how the EU Action Plan for Affordable Energy and associated guidance can be implemented in an Irish context.

Households spending above 10% of total income on their energy needs (excluding energy for transport) are counted in the current measurement of energy poverty. In 2022, based on this measure, the ESRI estimated that the number of households at risk of energy poverty was. ?It should be noted that targeted measures to support households at risk of energy poverty are paid to a significant share of households. For example, Fuel Allowance has been expanded to benefit 470,000 households.

The most recent Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) figures on household consumers in arrears are for December 2025. This data shows that approximately 192,000 or 8% of electricity customers are in arrears greater than 90 days. 320,000 or 14% electricity customers are in arrears of any length. This level of arrears is obviously a concern.

The National Energy Affordability Taskforce was established last June to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses. The first report of the taskforce set out measures for consideration as part of the Budget 2026 process. Many of these options were reflected in budget decisions. Examples of targeted budget measures aimed at improving energy affordability include:

• the Fuel Allowance being increased by €5 per week to €38, supporting over 470,000 households who most require Government assistance to meet their energy costs;

• to directly support working families, the Fuel Allowance was extended to recipients of the Working Family Payment. This will benefit approximately 50,000 families;

• from September 2026, those who move from Disability Allowance or Blind Pension to employment will be able to retain the Fuel Allowance for 5 years; and

• record funding of €640 million has been allocated for Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's residential and community energy upgrade schemes (including the Solar PV Scheme). This allocation will support the highest ever budget for the Warmer Homes Scheme which is targeted at households in energy poverty.

In addition, the VAT reduction (from 13.5% to 9%) on electricity and gas bills has been extended to the end of 2030, saving households up to €100 per year.

It is important to note that the Department of Social Protection can also provide support through the Additional Needs Payment to help households meet expenses, including those who face difficulties with fuel bills. A Heating Supplement may also be paid to assist people that have exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition and are unable to meet those costs out of household income. The Heating Supplement can be paid throughout the full year.

There are also a range of CRU customer protections in place.

Changes to the Household Benefits Package and Additional Needs Payments are a matter for the Department of Social Protection.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 119 together.

The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people at risk of energy poverty by providing fully funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund.

The Warmer Homes Scheme is available to owner-occupied properties, based on the householder being in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection (DSP) income supports.

The scheme targets support to those on the lowest incomes who are living in the least efficient homes so that the resources available can have the greatest impact in addressing energy poverty.

The eligible DSP payments are the:

• Fuel Allowance;

• Job Seeker’s Allowance for more than 6 months with a child under 7;

• Working Family Payment (previously the Family Income Supplement);

• One Parent Family Payment;

• Domiciliary Care Allowance;

• Carer’s Allowance (where you live with the person you are caring for); and

• Disability Allowance for more than 6 months with a child under 7.

The Invalidity Pension is not a qualifying payment for the Warmer Homes Scheme. However, households where someone is in receipt of the Invalidity Pension may also qualify for one of the DSP payments that are eligible payments for the Warmer Homes Scheme, such as the Fuel Allowance. This would be subject to the household meeting the relevant DSP operational guidelines and means test where required for the respective payment.

The scheme eligibility criteria are kept under ongoing review by my Department, together with the DSP, to ensure they are consistent with, and complementary to, the income support schemes offered.

The Government also has other schemes and supports in place which may be of assistance where there is an urgent need:

• the DSP's Additional Needs Payment is a payment available to people who have essential expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income. Additional Needs Payments are paid under Supplementary Welfare Allowance which is administered by the Community Welfare Service or the DSP. Details are available here: www.gov.ie/en/service/4eb45-additional-needs-payment/; and

• the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme is available to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out. The scheme is administered by Local Authorities. Details are available here: www.gov.ie/en/service/1ca60-housing-aid-for-older-people-grant/.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 120, 121 and 122 together.

This Government is committed to delivering on Ireland’s responsibility to address the climate crisis and work remains ongoing across Government Departments to carry out climate mitigation efforts every day. The rollout of retrofitting, renewable energy deployment, and more affordable electric vehicles continues at pace. Government focus is on implementation particularly of high impact actions.

Ireland now has the lowest level of GHG emissions in 35 years which is notable given concurrent demographic and economic growth including an increase of approximately 1.5 million people, more than one million new homes and over one million extra vehicles on our roads.

We are making significant strides toward our target of 80% renewable energy by 2030, having now reached the major milestone of 8GW onshore renewable electricity generation. We are now prioritising the development of our offshore wind capacity. We have doubled our wind energy capacity over the past 10 years, just last month wind energy provided a record 50% of our electricity.

This Government has also approved an unprecedented investment of €18.9 billion in Grid for the period 2026 – 2030 which is fundamental to the electrification of homes, businesses and transport. The 2025 ZEVI target for electrical vehicle sales of 195,000 was surpassed in October 2025, with sales now at 212,000. I have also recently announced an unprecedented package of new and enhanced grants for homeowners across the country who are looking to benefit from home energy upgrades under the National Residential Retrofit Plan.

These ongoing efforts are supported by Climate Action Plan 2025, in tandem with its predecessor, Climate Action Plan 2024, both of which remain in place and provide a strong framework for continued delivery of climate action across all sectors, as many of the measures and actions in these plans are multi-annual in nature and effect. Work remains ongoing across Government Departments to deliver on these commitments and carry out climate mitigation efforts supported by enhanced governance and delivery arrangements.

In line with our Programme for Government commitment, enhanced implementation governance structures to support accelerated climate action delivery have been put in place in 2025 to streamline structures and ensure that key strategic projects are supported.

Looking forward and in parallel with an implementation focus, work is currently underway on the next Climate Action Plan. Following the extensive recommendations delivered by the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy late last year, the Government is taking the necessary time to carefully finalise the Carbon Budget process and the next Climate Action Plan should reflect the outcome of that process. In that regard, we are working toward bringing a draft of the new Climate Action Plan to Government later this year.

The ongoing transition to a climate-neutral economy has profound implications for our economy and society. In formulating the next phases of our plans, the Government must carefully consider a wide range of factors to ensure the approach is ambitious, feasible, fair and sustainable. It is vital that our climate policies and emissions reduction pathways deliver the best possible value for money while maximising the net benefits to society. We must protect the long-term competitiveness of the economy, maintain the State’s attractiveness for investment, and maximise employment opportunities while ensuring a just transition that supports communities right across the country.

This Government is committed to delivering on Ireland’s responsibility to address the climate crisis and work remains ongoing across Government Departments to carry out climate mitigation efforts every day. My priority is accelerating implementation of high impact actions with the rollout of retrofitting, renewable energy deployment, and more affordable electric vehicles continuing at pace.

Ireland now has the lowest level of greenhouse gas emissions in 35 years, which is notable given concurrent demographic and economic growth including an increase of approximately 1.5 million people, more than one million new homes and over one million extra vehicles on our roads. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) most recent emissions reporting confirms that Ireland has recorded overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions for a third consecutive year, with a decrease of 6.8% in 2023 followed by a further 2% reduction in 2024.

This progress is further underlined by recent international comparisons from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in June 2025 which confirms that Ireland's emissions intensity per unit of Gross National Income (GNI) is significantly lower than other developed economies, and indicates that we are successfully decoupling our continued economic growth from emissions.

The latest EPA projections report highlights that meeting Ireland's 2030 target will be challenging. According to this report, which is based on the latest available data, a 23% reduction is projected against the target of 51%. It worth noting, however, that the EPA's projections are updated annually in light of delivery progress and emerging data, and their definitive assessment of Ireland's performance against the 2030 target will be made after that date.

In the meantime, we are focusing on significantly accelerating our delivery. This means doing more and doing it faster and, in this regard, it is worth noting the unprecedented progress currently being made including:

• We are making significant strides toward our target of 80% renewable energy by 2030, having now reached the major milestone of 8GW onshore renewable electricity generation.

• Just last month wind energy provided a record 50% of our electricity. We have doubled our onshore wind energy capacity over the past 10 years and we are now prioritising the development of offshore wind capacity.

• This Government has approved an unprecedented investment of €18.9 billion in Grid for the period 2026 – 2030 which is fundamental to the electrification of homes, businesses and transport.

• The 2025 ZEVI target for electrical vehicle sales of 195,000 was surpassed in October 2025, with sales now at 212,000.

• I have recently announced an unprecedented package of new and enhanced grants for homeowners across the country who are looking to benefit from home energy upgrades under the National Residential Retrofit Plan.

In line with our Programme for Government commitment, enhanced implementation governance structures to support accelerated climate action delivery, have been put in place in 2025 to streamline structures and ensure that key strategic projects are supported. The Climate Action Delivery Board (CADB), which I now chair, and the Climate Action Programme Board (CAPPB) provide co-ordinated oversight and strategic direction on the delivery of the Climate Action Plan measures and actions and provide oversight and support to delivery taskforces in delivering their work programmes. Through these structures we will continue to focus on closing the gap to reach our 2030 targets.

The waste collection market is serviced by competing private companies, where prices charged are matters between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable legislation, including contract, consumer and competition legislation. As Minister, I have no power to set prices in a private competitive market.

My Department has engaged with relevant public bodies and representative organisations with respect to the waste disposal costs for incontinence wear.

The National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO) has conducted a study on incentivised charging structures in the waste collection market. This study also considers mechanisms for supports in relation to households disposing of medical incontinence products based on international practice. Recommendations from the study will be considered together with the ongoing study to explore the feasibility of transitioning our national waste collection from its current competitive licensing system to a franchise tendering system.

The recommendations from both studies including any future policy decisions in relation to waste collection and regulatory arrangements will help to inform the next iteration of the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. Any future decisions will be taken in line with the relevant framework and following appropriate consideration of the studies findings.

The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people at risk of energy poverty by providing fully funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through the carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund.

The Warmer Homes Scheme is available to owner-occupied properties, based on the householder being in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection income supports. The scheme targets support to those on the lowest incomes who are living in the least efficient homes so that the resources available can have the greatest impact in addressing energy poverty.

The Warmth and Wellbeing Pilot Scheme was a joint energy, social and health policy initiative led by my Department with the Department of Health, the SEAI and the Health Service Executive. The scheme opened to applicants in 2016 and closed in February 2022. The aim of the initiative was to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people at risk of energy poverty and living with chronic respiratory conditions. The scheme provided free, extensive energy upgrades to eligible homes making the homes warmer and healthier to live in. The health and wellbeing benefits of energy efficiency are internationally recognised, but this scheme aimed to validate those benefits in an Irish context.

The results of the Warmth and Wellbeing Pilot Scheme are being used to inform policy development and scheme improvements.

The information sought is an operational matter for the SEAI, an agency under the aegis of the Department. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the SEAI directly in relation to this matter. The SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly and in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie.

The capital allocations for my Department, broken down by Programme Area, for 2025 and 2026 are set out in the table below.

Budget allocations are published each year by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in the Revised Estimates Volumes (REV) and are available at the following link -

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/collections/the-revised-estimates-volumes-for-the-public-service/

The Programme for Government commits to accelerating Ireland’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and to adopting a coordinated approach to drive impactful action globally, both at home and abroad, addressing critical areas such as poverty eradication, climate action, access to affordable and clean energy and improved living standards for all. The 2030 Agenda aims to achieve the SDGs for all people and for all groups of society. A key commitment under the 2030 Agenda is that no one should be left behind. SDG 7 is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Energy affordability is a priority for this Government. The interim report of the National Energy Affordability Taskforce was published last November and set out measures for consideration in the Budget 2026 process. The Government acted in the Budget and provided significant supports to enhance energy affordability. This included increased rates of payment and widened eligibility for Social Protection payments, a reduced rate of VAT on electricity and gas, as well as the biggest ever retrofit budget.

The Department of Social Protection also provides support through the Additional Needs Payment to help households meet expenses, including those who face difficulties with fuel bills.

Regarding price-setting, ultimately, this is a matter for energy companies. To address supply issues, Ireland shall participate in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 400-million-barrel release of strategic oil reserves through the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA).

Furthermore, I continue to engage with energy retailers to ensure that hardship funds and focused measures are in place for any customers who find themselves in difficulty. A range of protections are also in place for customers experiencing difficulties in paying their bills.

Finally, Ireland reached a major milestone in its clean energy transition last week, achieving 8GW of installed renewable electricity capacity. This marks a significant step in our transition to securing our energy future and achieving SDG 7 at home.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 128, 148 and 149 together.

The Conservation of and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse fish Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006 and the Conservation of Pike Bye-Law No. 809 of 2006 are currently under review. A public consultation process, to inform the review, was completed by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in late 2025, the results of which will be presented to the Department in due course. I will consider recommendations brought forward by IFI before deciding whether any legislative or policy changes are required.

Section 61 of the EPA Act 1992 pertains to water quality policy and legislation with regard to monitoring sanitary authorities. As Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, I have no function in these matters. This is a matter for my colleague the Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The Solar PV Scheme for Medically Vulnerable Customers is a targeted initiative designed to support the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in households registered under the life support category of the Priority Services Register.

Initially launched as a pilot in 2022 as a response to energy sector challenges arising from the war in Ukraine, the scheme was agreed for households on the life support category of the Priority Services Register maintained by ESB Networks at that time.

Some 470 homes have benefitted from the scheme to date and my Department expects that figure to grow significantly, now that the scheme is in the process of being extended (to include all eligible homeowners registered under the life support category of the Priority Services Register with their energy supplier, regardless of when they were registered).

Most energy suppliers have agreed to provide the scheme for their customers, with some suppliers more advanced in their programme than others. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) report that 137 systems were installed in 2024 with expenditure of €1.78 million. 473 systems were installed last year with expenditure of €2.4 million. This year will see a major expansion of delivery with an allocation of €11.7 million to support over 1,900 homes.

The information sought is an operational matter for the SEAI, an agency under the aegis of my Department. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the SEAI directly in relation to this matter. The SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly and in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie

I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together.

The Solar PV for the Medically Vulnerable Scheme is a targeted scheme for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for customers/households who are registered on the life support category of the Priority Services Register. These homes have a dependence on electrically powered equipment, including medical equipment, life protecting devices and assistive technologies such as dialysis machines or respirators. As a result, these households may have a higher energy demand than the average user and this scheme is designed to go some way towards helping to reduce those energy costs.

The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in conjunction with energy suppliers, with each energy supplier contacting their own eligible customers directly in line with the work plans for their solar PV installers. Eligible households can avail of a fully funded 2kWp solar PV system including survey/design, supply, installation, and the post works BER. It is important to note that suppliers, who manage the administrative aspects of the scheme under the SEAI, issue offers to eligible homeowners in batches.

The Solar PV for the Medically Vulnerable Scheme was designed in 2022 using the Households/MPRNs on the Life Support Category of the Priority Services Register as maintained by ESBN at that time.

Due to the strong uptake and the positive impact already observed in over 470 homes, in November 2025 the scheme was extended to include as eligible all homeowners who are registered under the life support category of the Priority Services Register with their energy supplier, regardless of when they were registered, as long the house is built and occupied on or before 31 December 2020.

Each of the energy suppliers is responsible for contacting their own eligible customers directly, in line with the work plans for their solar PV installers. Contractors are sending letters of interest in batches, based on their operational capacity and business plans.

A homeowner can participate on the pilot scheme through the following operational energy suppliers:

• Flogas

• Bord Gáis

• SSE Airtricity

• Electric Ireland

I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 135 together.

My Department is continuing to prepare Ireland's Social Climate Plan in close consultation with the European Commission and relevant Departmental stakeholders.

In line with the requirements of the regulation, a public event on the draft Plan, co-hosted by my Department and the European Commission, will be held in the coming months. At this event, information will be shared on the contents of the draft Plan as well as detail on how the consultation process completed last year fed into the design of the draft. Following the event, a final draft Plan will be submitted to Government for approval. It will then be submitted to the European Commission for final approval.

To facilitate this level of engagement, the Plan will be submitted to the Commission, for approval, later this year.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 142, 139, 140 and 141 together.

In line with the provisions of the Circular 01/2020, all Government Departments, Offices, and agencies must record the CO2 emissions associated with all official air travel, value these emissions based on the prevailing rates of Ireland’s domestic Carbon Tax in the relevant year, and pay an amount equivalent to the travel emissions impact into the Climate Action Fund. My Department has made payments for all travel by officials, including my Office, the Junior Ministers in my Department, and their staff in respect of this requirement since it came into effect in 2020.

The below table represents the payments made on behalf of my Department to the Climate Action Fund in relation to official air travel undertaken in each of the past five years.

The payment for offsetting emissions associated with official air travel undertaken in 2026, including air travel associated with St Patrick’s Day trips in 2026, will be calculated retrospectively and will be paid in 2027. As such, it is not possible to provide the type of disaggregated breakdown requested, for Saint Patrick’s Day or any other specific occasion or event.

Delivery of the Government's indigenous biomethane ambition by 2030 will have multiple cross-sectoral benefits for Ireland’s economy, energy security and emissions profile.

The Biomethane Implementation Group has been established to oversee implementation of the National Biomethane Strategy. The group is made up of entities that have specific responsibility for implementation of individual actions from the strategy. Its role is to monitor the delivery of the overall 25 key strategic actions set out in the strategy and support overall target achievement. In addition to members of the group having specific actions from the strategy to deliver themselves, the Biomethane Implementation Group has been assigned lead responsibility and ownership for delivery of 4 actions, and is identified as a key stakeholder in the delivery of a further 2 actions. Due to the groups specific responsibilities, it is not envisaged that the National Biogas Concern group would be included in the Biomethane Implementation Group at this time.

The group continues to engage with action owners to monitor implementation and a full progress report on delivery of actions within the National Biomethane Strategy is now published on the biomethane policy information page on the Gov.ie website.

My Department is committed to offering information and support to address concerns, foster the sharing of information and promote transparency around AD developments and the role they will play in decarbonisation in Ireland. The online information website is now live and will be gradually updated with additional relevant information. It is available at the following link on Gov.ie: Biomethane policy information.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the position remains unchanged from that set out in my reply to Question No. 315 of 17th February 2026.

In late 2023, the Department signed a Funding Agreement with the Angling Council of Ireland (ACI), the national governing body for angling in Ireland, to provide funding for disbursement to ACI affiliated organisations to support their participation in the AAG.

I understand that the Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers (FISSTA) was not and is not currently affiliated with the national governing body (ACI) so therefore it was not possible to include them for the purposes of this Agreement.

I refer the Deputy to my previous reply to Parliamentary Question No. 240 of 3 March 2026, in that this higher probability threshold was proposed as a starting point for consultation with stakeholders.

The 85% did not represent a datum governing Lough Corrib SAC specifically. It was a proposed probability threshold that would apply nationally if adopted.

I refer the Deputy to my previous reply to Parliamentary Question No. 176 of 4 February 2026 in relation to the status of that management plan. There has been no change to the position set out in that reply.

The draft Heads of Bill are currently being revised in order to take on board some additional considerations. My Department aims to submit these revised Heads of Bill to the Government for approval to proceed to drafting in the coming weeks. Pre-legislative scrutiny will follow shortly thereafter with the aim of publishing the Bill over the coming months.

As outlined in the 2022 Policy Statement on Petroleum Exploration and Production, my Department no longer accepts new applications for exploration licences for natural gas or oil. This commitment was made effective immediately upon the previous Government taking office in June 2020, and the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 placed this commitment on a statutory basis.

Holders of existing authorisations are not affected by these changes and may apply to progress their authorisations through the usual licensing stages.

There are a number of different cohorts within the public service who have entitlement to what is known as ‘fast accrual’ in their pensions.

I do not have responsibility or information in relation to all of the public service, but I can provide information regarding personnel who retire from the Permanent Defence Force (PDF).

The number of personnel who retired from the PDF in the last 3 years is as follows:

The occupational pension entitlements for PDF personnel are governed by the Defence Forces Superannuation Scheme, and with the exception of a very small number of specific personnel, provide for fast accrual pension entitlements.

The specific pension entitlements of individual members of the PDF depend on various factors such as the date a person first joins the public service, as well as retiring rank and pensionable service and remuneration.

Increasing recruitment and retention of personnel in the Defence Forces is a key priority for me as Minister for Defence. As a government, we are committed to putting the resources in place to achieve Level of Ambition 2 and a crucial element of this is personnel expansion. A range of measures have been undertaken to tackle recruitment and retention challenges in the Defence Forces over the last number of years. As a result, we have seen a stabilisation in the strength of the Permanent Defence Force in 2024 and an increase of almost 200 personnel in 2025.

In addition, it is very positive to see that interest in a career in the Defence Forces continues to grow, with a total of 16,510 applications received in 2025. Increases in application numbers and in the overall strength of the PDF demonstrate that the key enabling measures which the Government has introduced to support and drive Defence Forces recruitment and retention are yielding results. I want to build on the progress achieved in 2025 and have set a target of 850 inductions for 2026.

Additional information pertaining to the number of inductions and discharges from 2021 to 2025, as requested by the Deputy, has been provided by the military authorities in the following table:

The term 'discharges' encompasses the number of personnel who left for a variety of reasons including on age grounds, at end of contract and voluntary discharges.

Turnover rates in the Defence Forces are carefully monitored, and I am pleased to say that an encouraging indicator of the stabilisation in the strength achieved in recent years, has been a reduction in the turnover rate from an average of 10 percent per annum between 2021 and 2024, to under 8 percent last year.

A range of measures have been undertaken to support the retention of personnel in the Defence Forces in recent years. These include increases in the maximum ages of recruitment and retirement respectively, the extension of private secondary healthcare to all personnel, and the application of the provisions of the Working Time Directive across the Defence Forces subject to certain exemptions. In addition, the Patrol Duty allowance payable to Naval Service personnel at sea has been doubled after ten days at sea in a calendar year while the Naval Service tax credit has been extended for a further five years.

There continues to be significant progress on pay with all personnel benefiting from a pay award delivered in February with a further increase due in June.

Underpinning these and other measures, I ensured that Budget 2026 provided a record allocation of €1.49 billion for the Defence Sector, an increase of €145 million on 2025. These funds include provision for the recruitment of a net 400 additional PDF members per annum

Significant strides continue to be made on a number of recruitment and retention fronts and the allocation of record levels of expenditure is illustrative of my commitment to enhancing the recruitment and retention rates in the Permanent Defence Force in order to meet the targets set in Level of Ambition 2.

The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within the time frame sought. The information is being compiled by my officials and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within the time frame sought. The information is being compiled by my officials and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within the time frame sought. The information is being compiled by my officials and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 157, 158 and 159 together.

There is only one member of staff seconded from my Department to another Department or agency in the Civil Service. The staff member is currently seconded to the Agri-Food Regulator. The secondment commenced in April 2024 for a 3 year period. There are no staff in my Department seconded to or from any firms in the private sector.

My key priority is the modernisation of our Defence Forces, and revitalising our Reserve Defence Forces is a vital part of that transformation process. 

The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) Regeneration Plan, published in July 2024, coordinates 27 actions across four objectives [(i) Recruitment & Retention, (ii) Resourcing,  (iii) Training & Education, and (iv) Integration & Deployment], to modernise the RDF and ensure it can seamlessly train, operate, and deploy with the Permanent Defence Force. 

The Military  Authorities have provided the table below which outlines the status of each of the actions in the Regeneration and Development Plan. 12 actions are complete and have moved to implementation and / or integrated into business as usual. 3 actions are on schedule. 12 actions are continuing to progress. 0 actions have significant barriers to completion.

Furthermore other areas of work underway in the Reserve Defence Force sphere include:

• A new RDF Recruitment system, which will result in a more streamlined and user-friendly process for applicants;

• A significant RDF advertising awareness campaign will be coordinated across all media modes including television and radio adverts, to raise the public’s awareness of the opportunities available in the RDF;

• A substantial expansion of the RDF budget which continues to increase in pace with the enhanced role of the RDF.  To illustrate this, the budget allocation in 2025 was €3.542m and I have further increased it to €4.535m for 2026. 

• To ensure the framework for the Reserve is fit for purpose a  review of the current legal and policy framework governing the RDF is underway.  The second part of this review will focus on options for employment protection legislation.

The Army Cadet Course Syllabus of training is a specialised and intensive training programme of 17 months’ duration.

The military authorities have provided the requested information on the number of instructors required to train an Army Cadet class of 65 persons and this is set out in the following table:

The 2026 Cadetship competition recently closed for applications. Last years competition attracted in excess of 1,800 applications and resulted in 79 inductions.

In 2024 the number of Cadets inducted increased to 80 and I have instructed that this continue in 2026. Currently there are 145 Cadets in training across the Defence Forces of which 106 are Army.

I am advised that the age limits for personnel wishing to enter the Defence Forces are as set out in Regulations made pursuant to the Defence Act 1954, as amended.

The nature of military service requires that the age profile of personnel in the Defence Forces be appropriately managed to ensure that capability requirements are met. In that context, the maximum recruitment age was increased in 2024 to 39 years of age for General Service Recruits, Cadets, and certain specialists. Candidates must be under 39 on the closing date for applications for each competition, or in the case of General Service Recruitment, be under 39 on the date of application. Additionally, the maximum recruitment age for Direct Entry Officer specialists was increased to 50, and candidates for Direct Entry competitions should accordingly be under 50 on the closing date(s) for applications.

I am also advised by Defence Forces management that conditions and eligibility criteria for entry to and for service in the Defence Forces, including the methodology used for assessments, are subject to continuous review and modification, having regard to the needs of the organisation, health and safety and the development of best practices.

Increases in the maximum recruitment ages is one of a number of key enabling measures introduced by Government to drive and support Defence Forces Recruitment. Other measures we have undertaken include the extension of private secondary healthcare to all personnel, the application of the provisions of the Working Time Directive across the Defence Forces subject to certain exemptions, increases to Patrol Duty allowance payable to Naval Service personnel at sea, and extension of the Naval Service tax credit to 2029.

In addition, there continues to be significant progress on pay with all personnel benefiting from a pay award delivered last month with a further increase due in June.

I am pleased to say that these enabling measures are beginning to yield results. A total of 790 inductions were achieved in 2025, while the overall strength of the Permanent Defence Force grew by almost 200 personnel. Interest in a career in the Defence Forces continues to grow with overall application numbers increasing from a total of 9,479 in 2023 to a total of 16,510 applications last year. Opportunities for careers in the Defence Forces remain open via a diverse range of ongoing competitions including those for general service and for Direct Entry specialist roles, while the 2026 Cadetship competition has recently closed for applications.

The Irish Defence Forces value diversity and inclusion and foster a culture of respect, dignity, and equality for all members.

My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Air Corps, Army, and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities for the Air Corps, Army, and Naval Service are considered in the context of the established capability development and Equipment Development Planning (EDP) processes.

Capital investment in aircraft continues with the placing of the following contracts in recent years:

• Two new Airbus C-295 in Maritime Patrol Aircraft delivered in 2023.

• One new Airbus C-295 in a Military Transport configuration. This aircraft was delivered in October 2025.

• One new Dassault Falcon 6X Strategic Reach Aircraft. This aircraft was delivered in December 2025.

• Four Airbus H145M Light Utility Multi-Role Helicopters. These aircraft are in production with phased delivery planned in 2027 and 2028.

Future procurements are progressed in the context of the rolling Equipment Development Plan (EDP), which encompasses a programme of sustained equipment procurement/acquisition across the Air Corps, Army, and Naval Service as identified and prioritised in the Strategic Framework, the recently updated Detailed Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces.

This is part of the ambitious programme of work to move to Level of Ambition 2 ( LOA2) and will ensure that the Air Corps and the wider Defence Forces have the major equipment platforms, ancillary equipment and force protection equipment required to carry out their important roles both at home and overseas.

Capital funding of €1.7 billion has been allocated to Defence under the National Development Plan for the period 2026-2030. The funding represents an increase of €600 million or 55% on the previous baseline figure of €1.1 billion.

Future Air Corps projects identified within these planning processes include the acquisition of a fleet of super-medium helicopters to replace the current fleet of AW-139 medium helicopters. This projects is underway and is in the assessment phase in accordance with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines. No fixed timeline has yet been set for the selection of a specific helicopter type.

I am satisfied that the ongoing programme of prioritised sustained investment in upgrading and enhancing Air Corps capabilities will ensure that the Defence Forces continue to be suitably equipped to fulfil all roles assigned by Government.

Thank you to the Deputy for this question.

The Detailed Implementation Plan was published on 10 February 2026. This document sets out the updated timelines for the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces.

The Defence Group budget for 2026 is €1.492 billion an increase of €142 million (11%) in the Defence group allocation compared to 2025.

The 2026 allocation includes the highest ever level of capital funding, at €300 million in 2026. This level of capital investment ensures that significant progress can be made on key projects under the Detailed Implementation Plan, including Counter-UAS technology, the priority Military Radar Programme and other vitally important Defence projects. Emphasis is also being placed on targeting investment in accommodation and gyms to incentivise and retain new entrants to the Forces.

The revised NDP Capital allocation for the Defence Vote Group for the period 2026-2030 is €1.7 billion. This represents an increase of €600 million (55%) on the previous baseline of €1.1 billion. For 2026, the Defence capital allocation increased by €66 million to €300 million, with a further rise to €360million in 2029-2030.

The Government approved the move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF) in July, 2022. This provided for a rise in the Defence budget to €1.5 billion, in 2022 prices, by 2028, as part of the annual Estimates process.

The delivery of the Updated Detailed Implementation Plan will be progressed from within the existing Defence Vote Group allocation, with the appropriate budgetary provision for 2027 to 2028 to be determined within annual estimate processes, as well as the relevant elements of the Defence Sectoral Plan under the National Development Plan 2025-2030. All timelines for implementation under the Updated Detailed Implementation Plan are consistent with the NDP profile and the Defence Sectoral Plan.

I understand that the Deputy has clarified that the details being sought relates to Irish Naval Service vessels. As the Deputy will be aware Dún Laoghaire Harbour is actively used by the Irish Naval Service. To that end the Deputy may wish to note that my Department is at an advanced stage of concluding the licensing arrangements with the County Council in relation to the use of Carlisle Pier for the purposes of berthing the two Inshore Patrol Vessels, as their primary function will be to patrol the East Coast.

While not made as a disclosure, my Department made payments in respect of Pay Related Social Insurance of Employers PRSI of €88,438.32 and Employee PRSI of €40,069.21 on foot of a legal settlement in respect of one individual who had been previously contracted for services by the Defence Forces.

Security Duty Allowance is paid to certain members of the Permanent Defence Force who undertake Security duties.

A proposal to bring the RDF in line with their PDF counterparts has been approved in principle by the Department. Consideration of the criteria to be applied, the mechanism for applying for and payment of SDA to members of the RDF is being advanced by the Defence Forces.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 to 172, inclusive, together.

My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government.

The capital funding of €1.7 billion allocated in the latest National Development Plan 2026 to 2030 to Defence represents an increase of €600 million on the previous baseline of €1.1 billion. The revised capital allocations will enable targeted progression on key elements of Government commitments within Level of Ambition 2 objectives.

Ongoing planning for the acquisition of military equipment is conducted through the utilisation of the Defence Equipment Development Plan, which is a rolling plan, considered through joint civil-military co-operation, and provides a consolidated, structured basis for ongoing investment in military equipment to develop and maintain necessary capabilities. This work is progressed under the guidance of the Strategic Framework for the Transformation of the Defence Forces, which was published in February 2026, the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF) and the updated Detailed Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces.

Governance for Defence acquisitions include the High Level Planning and Procurement Group (HLPPG), a monthly working group comprising of senior civil and military management of the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. The HLPPG provides a joint civil and military forum for oversight and approval of expenditure in accordance with Public Spending Code requirements which included a cost benefit analysis options appraisal. As the value of this acquisition was within the threshold for approval at Ministerial level there was no requirement for a formal memorandum to be submitted to Government for approval.

Concerning the other matters raised, the Deputy may wish to refer to my previous response dated 4th March 2026 under PQ 17554/26.

As set out in that response, the CoDF recommended the “Enhancement of the Air Corps’ fleet with the addition of a fixed wing aircraft with strategic reach capability”.

The Dassault Falcon 6X is a next generation strategic reach aircraft which will enhance the State’s transport, airlift and medical evacuation capabilities, with a range of over 5000 nautical miles meaning it can reach the west coast of the United States without the need to refuel. The aircraft replaces the Learjet 45 operated by the Air Corps for over 20 years, which seated 7 passengers. The acquired Falcon 6X can carry up to 14 passengers.

It provides the State with an independent and flexible air transport service, which is an increasingly essential requirement to assist the Government in meeting Ireland’s national and international obligations.

In addition, the aircraft will be used for a broad range of other taskings, including the evacuation of Irish citizens from critical situations, air-ambulance patient transfers, medical evacuation or repatriation of Irish Defence Forces personnel deployed on overseas missions, and logistics support for the transport of supplies to Irish Defence Forces overseas missions.

In 2023/ 2024 an open competition with multiple bidders was conducted under the procedures as set out in the Defence and Security Directive 81/2009/EC, and in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. The suitability of the aircraft submitted by aircraft manufacturers in response to the competition, in terms of range, passenger capacity and other parameters, was extensively considered and assessed under strict criteria set out within the documentation published openly within the course of the competition, which can be viewed at www.etenders.gov.ie.

Following this a contract was awarded to Dassault Aviation S.A., a French company, for the provision of the Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft.

A Civil Military Project Team comprising Officials from my Department and the Air Corps delivered this project, with legal support being provided by the Office of the Chief State Solicitor.

The award of the contract followed a robust analysis of the options that met the identified capability requirement, as specified by the Public Spending Code. This analysis considered operational requirements, including seating. The new aircraft will provide the independent and flexible strategic reach air transport service which is an increasingly essential requirement to assist the Government in meeting its national and international obligations.

The commercial information of unsuccessful tenderers is protected both by public procurement law and the Freedom of Information Act, and I am not in a position to disclose such information.

The total cost of the Falcon 6X aircraft procurement was just below €53 million excluding VAT. The delivery of the Dassault Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft represents a significant enhancement of the State’s transport, airlift and medical capabilities, and is further evidence of the Government’s ongoing commitment to enhance the capabilities of the Defence Forces.

In addition to the acquisition of the Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft, capital investment in aircraft has included in recent years; two new Airbus C-295W Maritime Patrol Aircraft delivered in 2023; one new Airbus C-295M in Military Transport configuration delivered in October 2025; and four Airbus H145M Light Utility Multi-Role Helicopters, with these aircraft in production for phased delivery in 2027 and 2028.

The strategic reach aircraft will enter full operational service in March 2026, and operational costs will be published monthly on the Department's website, accessible at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/e8132-routinely-published-information/#ministerial-air-transport-service-mats.

I am satisfied that the Defence Forces, including the Air Corps have the necessary modern and effective range of equipment available to them which is in line with best international standards in order to fulfil all roles assigned to them by Government.

The Military Authorities have provided the table below, which sets out the number of applications and attestations to the RDF from 2018 - Feb 2026.

*As at 28th February 2026

The RDF Joint Induction Training Syllabus was introduced in 2024. Its purpose it to create a common standard of foundation training for all new reserve recruits. This joint approach reflects that adopted for new recruits into the Permanent Defence Forces whereby Recruits undergo training as a collective and are then assigned their Units on completion of training.  For Reservists they commence their recruit training with their parent Units.  The syllabus is delivered across midweek training evenings, weekend training days and a two-week full-time training period. The two-week training camp is delivered in a joint setting with Recruits from across the Defence Forces undertaking training in a collective setting.

The syllabus generally takes 9-12 months to deliver. On completion of which the Reservist is qualified as an Army Private or an Ordinary Rating in the Naval Service. Reservists then progress to their professional training appropriate to their Service or Corps. The conduct of joint training enables the pooling of resources and thus achieves greater efficiencies in the delivery of training. Joint training also ensures there is a standardisation of the desired training outcomes. These standards are vital at the induction stage as they provide a solid foundation upon which a Reservists can commence their career and their professional development.  As with any military course there is an inherent level of attrition. 

The Military Authorities have also provided the table below, which sets out the number of Recruits (Grade 1) Who were discharged from 2018 - 2025.

It should be noted that these figures do not directly correspond to the attestations above. The reasons for withdrawal from training are numerous. Reservists are encouraged to complete an online exit interview that is monitored by the DF organisational psychologist. Reservists will also, where possible, be interviewed by an appropriate member of the Unit staff. Units report that approximately 70% of those who withdrew from training did so to undertake a career in the Permanent Defence Forces or An Garda Siochana. In the remainder of instances, the Reservists personal circumstances may have changed and they were not in a position to make the time commitment necessary for the completion of the training.

It should be noted that approximately 20% of the annual discharges across the RDF are for the purpose of joining the PDF. Some Recruits join the RDF with the goal of progressing to a career in the PDF while others are attracted to a career in the PDF because of their experience in the RDF.

The strength of the Reserve Defence Force, as of the 31 January 2026, was: -

• 204 First line Reserve personnel and

• 1,607 Second Line Reserve personnel which is comprised of 1,473 Army Reserve personnel and 134 Naval Service personnel.

My key priority is the modernisation of our Defence Forces, and revitalising our Reserve Defence Forces is a vital part of that transformation process.

In that context, the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) Regeneration Plan published in July 2024, contains 27 actions across four objectives, namely: Recruit & Retain; Resource; Train & Educate and Integrate & Deploy.

One of the 4 operational objectives of this Plan is to improve the induction process with the aim of achieving an effective strength of 80% by 2028. To this end a baseline target of 300 inductions has been set for 2026. This target is based upon the resourcing of the induction process and the capacity of the units tasked to deliver the induction training. As the RDF regenerates the Defence Forces will set further annual recruitment targets. The baseline target for 2027 will be set in Q4 2026 based upon a review of 2026 figures and an examination of the resourcing capacity projected for 2027.

Implementation of the regeneration plan is being monitored by the Defence Forces Office of Reserve Affairs to address any blockages arising and to ensure progress across the 27 actions. The recruitment measures include the development of: a Reserve Defence Force Recruitment Strategy; Multi Induction Streams; a Master Messaging and Communication Strategy; an Employer Engagement Strategy and; a Third Level Engagement Strategy.

Other areas of work underway in the Reserve Defence Force sphere include:

• A new RDF Recruitment system, which will result in a more streamlined and user-friendly process for applicants;

• A significant RDF advertising awareness campaign. This will be coordinated across all media modes including television and radio adverts, to raise the public’s awareness of the opportunities available in the RDF;

• A substantial expansion of the RDF budget which continues to increase in pace with the enhanced role of the RDF. To illustrate this, the budget allocation in 2025 was €3.542m and I have further increased it to €4.535m for 2026.

• To ensure the framework for the Reserve is fit for purpose a review of the current legal and policy framework governing the RDF is underway. The second part of this review will focus on options for employment protection legislation.

It has not been possible to provide a response within the time frame available. I will respond to the Deputy when the information requested is to hand.

My key priority is the modernisation of our Defence Forces, and revitalising our Reserve Defence Force is a vital part of that transformation process. This is reflected in the substantial expansion of the RDF budget which continues to increase in pace with the enhanced role of the RDF. To illustrate this, the budget allocation in 2025 was €3.542m and I have further increased it to €4.535m for 2026.

Reserve Defence Force (RDF) funding is provided for by Subhead A.5 of the Defence Vote. This allocation provides current expenditure funding for the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). It also provides for the payment of gratuities to members of the First Line Reserve (FLR).

There is no ring-fenced or dedicated capital budget allocation for the RDF. As such, the relevant Subheads across respective functional areas are resourced to provide for both PDF and RDF requirements. The RDF also benefits from the increasing levels of capital investment now evident in Defence Equipment, Infrastructural, Transport & IT capabilities.

The Military Authorities have advised that they don’t maintain consolidated data with regard to reasons for resignation or discharge from the RDF.

Trends and anomalies are investigated though regular engagement between the Office of Reserve Affairs and the Reserve Defence Force Senior Staff Officers in the Brigades and Formations.

The reasons for resignation or discharge are numerous. Reservists are encouraged to complete an online exit interview that is monitored by the DF organisational psychologist. Reservists will also, where possible, be interviewed by an appropriate member of the Unit staff. Approximately 70% of those who withdrew from initial training did so to undertake a career in the Permanent Defence Forces or An Garda Siochana. In the remainder of instances, the Reservists personal circumstances may have changed and they were not in a position to make the time commitment necessary for the completion of the training.

It should be noted that approximately 20% of the annual discharges across the RDF are for the purpose of joining the PDF. Some Recruits join the RDF with the goal of progressing to a career in the PDF while others are attracted to a career in the PDF because of their experience in the RDF.

The revised National Development Plan capital allocation for the Defence Vote Group for the period 2026-2030 is €1.7bn. This represents an increase of €600 million (55%) on the previous baseline of €1.1 billion. For 2026, the Defence capital allocation has increased by €66 million to €300 million.

The Updated Detailed Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was published last month alongside the Strategic Framework 2026. These documents outline my Department's key priorities in the transformation of the Defence Forces, and support the actions, that will be taken in the months and years ahead, to implement the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces, including crucial equipment and infrastructure projects.

Capital investment in Defence primarily supports the renewal, retention, and acquisition of major defence equipment as well as the development of defence infrastructure. This expenditure strengthens military capabilities and contributes to a more secure and resilient society.

Given the critical importance of robust radar capabilities in safeguarding national security and ensuring comprehensive awareness of activity across Ireland’s air and maritime domains, the progression of the Military Radar Programme is an absolute priority for me in 2026. The Military Radar Programme includes three elements - Land Based Long Range Primary Radar; Ground Based Air Defence systems, to include a Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems capability; and Maritime (ship-borne) Radar.

Following Oireachtas approval of a Supplementary Estimate for the accelerated procurement of Counter Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) capabilities for the Defence Forces, the required capabilities are now being procured with planned delivery, and training, being carried out during 2026. Other vitally important Defence projects set to advance in 2026 include Subsea Awareness, Software Defined Radio, and Light Utility Helicopters along with a wide range of essential Force Protection equipment.

As Minister for Defence, I am committed to ensuring that this increased capital funding allocation also enables further progress on a range of Defence Forces Built Infrastructure projects encompassing accommodation, offices and gyms, together with critical investment in aircraft hangars and naval berthage. It will also complement a number of important ongoing infrastructural projects, including the development of the Cadet School HQ, at DFTC and a new Medical Facility at Casement Aerodrome.

Additional capital investment will also be directed at improving Defence Forces IT, Transport, Engineering and Ordnance capabilities.

The geopolitical landscape is changing rapidly, and security challenges are emerging, however, I believe the capital funding envelope now provided to 2030 will enable further targeted delivery of measurable capability enhancements to the Defence Forces.

A key priority for me as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the current operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained, and further developed upon. I believe it is essential in this evolving geopolitical and security environment, that Ireland enhances the capabilities of our Defence Forces and this objective will be aided by the implementation of a Capability Development Planning Process.

One of the key recommendations from the Commission on the Defence Forces was to implement a top down capability development planning process (CDPP) to bring planning for Defence Forces capabilities in line with best practice.

In early 2023 a Capability Development Unit was established in the Department. It is civil/military in terms of staffing, with military staff from across the three services of the Defence Forces, providing an overarching joint perspective to capability planning. The Unit is now well established and in the final stages producing a 12 year Capability Development Programme, that will identify, at a high level, the capability requirements for the Defence Forces out to 2040. This ongoing piece of work, once complete, will inform the prioritisation of capabilities the Defence Forces will progress in moving towards the strategic level of ambition set out in the Defence Policy Review, and the objectives as set out in the recently published Strategic Framework and Update to the Detailed Implementation Plan for the Commission on the Defence Forces. I expect the Capability Development Programme will be finalised in the first half of this 2026.

The Programme will then be implemented through rolling 4 year Capability Development Plans, the first of which will cover the period 2028 to 2032. Capabilities will then be developed and acquired in line with capital allocations under the National Development Plan. My immediate priority is progressing as quickly as we can to Level of Ambition 2, as committed to the Detailed Implementation Plan and the Programme for Government.

Full details of the Defence NDP 2026-2030 Sectoral Plan are available on the Government website www.gov.ie. The updated Detailed Implementation Plan and Strategic Framework are published on my Department’s website www.gov.ie/defence

My colleague the Minister for Justice Home Affairs and Migration and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power which, in practice, means providing assistance to An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. Any such assistance is provided by the Defence Forces on the general approval of the Minister for Defence following a request for assistance from An Garda Síochána to the military authorities.

In addition, there are a number of enactments under which members of the Defence Forces (specifically members of the Naval Service) are authorised to undertake duties in support of An Garda Siochána or other State bodies (e.g. the Customs Service of the Revenue Commissioner). The functions in questions are generally concerned with the enforcement of the provisions of the enactments in question. During 2025, in excess of 3,100 Aid to the Civil Power operations were completed by the Defence Forces including 24/7/365 armed guard at Government Buildings, Explosive Production Facilities etc along with other intermittent activities such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal Callouts, Explosive Escorts, Naval Service Diving Operations, VIP Visits, Search Operations etc.

Due to the voluminous number of requests, it is not possible to provide full details of requests from 1995 in this response, however, details are published in the Department of Defence and Defence Forces Annual Report on a yearly basis and are publicly available:

The last five years of statistics available are:

I propose to take Questions Nos. 183, 181 and 182 together.

In line with Circular 01/2020, Government Departments, Offices and agencies are required to record, monitor, and value the greenhouse gas emissions associated with official air travel usage and, no later than 28 February each year, make a payment to the Fund Manager of the statutory Climate Action Fund related to these emissions for the preceding year.

Travel for St. Patrick's Day 2026 for myself and the Minister of State, Thomas Byrne TD, was arranged by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, therefore that Department is responsible for the administration of carbon emissions associated with official air travel in accordance with Circular 01/2020 as set out above.

In line with Circular 01/2020 issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Government Departments, Offices and agencies are, with effect from 1 January 2020, required to record, monitor, and value the greenhouse gas emissions associated with official air travel usage and, no later than 28 February each year, make a payment to the Fund Manager of the statutory Climate Action Fund related to these emissions for the preceding year.

The table below outlines the payments made to the Fund Manager for carbon emissions arising from Department of Defence related air travel undertaken by Ministers, Junior Ministers, and ministerial staff for the years 2021 to 2025.

Enforcement of road traffic offences, such as speeding, is the primary responsibility of An Garda Síochána. This includes enforcement of speeding laws through the use of cameras.

There are currently 5 average speed cameras in operation across the road network. These are located in the following locations -

• Dublin Port Tunnel

• M7

• N3 Cavan

• N5 Mayo

• N2 Meath

In addition there are nine static safety cameras in operation. These are located at the following locations -

• N17 Mayo

• N59 Galway

• N13 Donegal

• N69 Limerick

• R772 Wexford

• N22 Cork

• N80 Carlow

• N25 Kilkenny

• Dolphin's Barn Dublin 12

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras across the road network to encourage safer driving. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan, as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy.

To assist An Garda Síochána in meeting these objectives, a National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy.

It should also be noted that camera enforcement has been increasing. There are now 9,000 hours of GoSafe monitoring carried out on our roads each month and since late 2024, An Garda Síochána with the assistance of TII and local authorities installed three additional average speed camera zones and nine static camera locations.

In 2024, my Department commissioned Indecon Economic Consultants to carry out an independent, external review of the Road Safety Authority (RSA). This review was presented to Government and published in November 2024.

In total, the report made 34 recommendations. At the core of the recommendations was that the operational services run by the RSA should be separated from its research, media campaigns, partnerships and education programmes to improve road safety. A related recommendation was that the RSA’s public interest work should receive Exchequer subvention.

Since the publication of the review, RSA reform activities have been taken forward on a number of fronts. For the first time since 2012, the fees for certain RSA services increased on 1 January 2025 to raise additional revenue and improve the RSA’s financial position; €18m has been specifically ringfenced for annual investment in public interest work in both 2025 and 2026; the Road Safety Communications Steering Group was established in December 2024; the Department of Transport took over central responsibility for the coordination of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy commencing with the July 2025 publication of the Phase 2 Action Plan; and, a new Chair and three new ordinary members were appointed to the RSA board during 2025 with a stronger focus on the RSA’s operational mandate.

In terms of the recommendation to separate out the RSA’s operational and public interest functions, I have decided not to pursue this recommendation as I believe that reform can be delivered more efficiently and effectively within the existing RSA organisational structure. I have directed my officials to prepare revised reform proposals in line with this decision and will present these to Government in the coming weeks.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 187, 308 and 366 together.

The current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. The Strategy has the target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% this decade, and to achieving Vision Zero—as close as possible to no deaths or serious injuries on Irish roads—by 2050.

The Phase 2 Action Plan 2025–2027 under the Strategy was published in July 2025. In total, the Phase 2 Plan contains 12 primary and 77 support actions, with the potential to deliver truly transformative change. Actions are being delivered through partnership and collaborative working by road safety stakeholders.

My Department is responsible for the central co-ordination of the Road Safety Strategy and implementation of the Phase 2 Action Plan is overseen at Ministerial level by the Road Safety Leadership Group (RSLG). This Group is chaired by me and is attended by the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs. This Group also comprises senior officials from all key road safety partners including An Garda Síochána, the Road Safety Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, National Transport Authority, the Courts Service, MBRS, HSA and the Local Authorities.

The Group oversees implementation of the Strategy. Action owners are required to report quarterly on actions in their areas and the RSLG meets quarterly to review these updates and to discuss progress on the delivery of the 12 Primary Actions. Additional updates as required are provided on the 77 support actions.

A Road User Safety Forum is also in place and gives a range of road user and road safety advocates an opportunity to contribute to the Phase 2 Action Plan.

As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals.

National roads allocations for years 2020 -2026 are available at: https://www.tii.ie/en/tii-library/reports-accounts/.

I have referred the question to TII for a direct reply regarding 2010 - 2019 funding allocated to Waterford City and County Council. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on these roads are funded from councils’ own resources and supplemented by State Road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

On 17 February I announced an Exchequer investment of €718 million in our regional and local roads across the State. This will facilitate an increase in funding allocation of €26 million this year for road protection and renewal works. Waterford City and County Council have been allocated €23,253,950 for 2026.

As regards the total funding allocated to and drawn down by Waterford City and County Council by grant type for the years 2010 to 2025, details of the regional and local road allocations and payments to local authorities are outlined in the regional and local road allocations and payments booklets which are available on the Oireachtas Digital Library.

Full details of the 2026 regional and local grant allocations are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-transport/press-releases/ministers-for-transport-announce-over-15-billion-for-national-regional-and-local-roads/.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from councils' own resources supplemented by State road grants.

The Shannon Crossing, Killaloe Bypass and R494 Upgrade scheme is one of a limited number of strategic regional and local road improvement schemes being undertaken under the National Development Plan.

Construction of the Shannon Crossing, Killaloe Bypass and R494 Upgrade scheme was completed in May 2025, and therefore received a lower allocation this year.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Councils' own resources, which are supplemented by State grants for regional and local roads. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

My Department provides grant assistance to local authorities under the Regional and Local Road Grant Programme for a number of targeted programmes, including the Bridge Rehabilitation Grant Programme. Applications are sought each year from local authorities under this programme for consideration for funding in the subsequent year.

In 2025, Clare County Council received an allocation of €689,500 under the Bridge Rehabilitation Grant Programme for 22 schemes. The planning and implementation of these schemes is the responsibility of Clare County Council. The total amount of funding drawn down under this grant by Clare County Council in 2025 was €215,557.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from councils' own resources, which are supplemented by State grants for regional and local roads. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

My Department provides grant assistance to local authorities under the Regional and Local Road Grant Programme for a number of targeted programmes, including the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Grant Programme. Applications are sought each year from local authorities under this programme for consideration for funding in the subsequent year.

Clare County Council's application for funding in 2025 for the Lough Alewnaghta road protection scheme was to undertake site investigation work and the design of a permanent solution. The Council's application for funding for the scheme in 2026 is for works to raise the level of the road.

The planning and implementation of the scheme is the responsibility of Clare County Council.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Councils' own resources, which are supplemented by State grants for regional and local roads. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

In 2025, the Department introduced funding for Bridge Inventory and Maintenance Inspections which is subject to a maximum of 10% of a local authority's previous year’s Bridge Rehabilitation grant allocation. The purpose of the allocation is to assist local authorities to focus on preventative maintenance to prolong the lifespan and ensure continued functionality of the bridges. This allocation is being made available to assist local authorities with the collection and recording of bridge inventory data and with salaries of local authority technical grade staff performing inspections on structures.

In 2026, Clare County Council received an allocation under the Bridge Rehabilitation Grant programme of €740,000, which included €65,000 for Bridge Inventory and Maintenance Inspections.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals.

The National Development Plan review (Sectoral Investment Plan) published by Government on 26 November 2025 sets out capital ceilings for transport to 2030. This has provided indicative funding under Programme Area C- Road Networks & Road Safety of €9.7 billion, subject to the annual estimates process. This represents a significant increase in funding over the 2021 to 2025 period. As a result, this year an increased number of new national road projects have been allocated funding. I can confirm that Clare County Council received approximately €6.5m as part of the 2026 National Road allocations announced in February. Future funding will be kept under review and considered in terms of the overall envelope available to TII.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of their regional and local roads. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State road grants. Of these grants, the vast majority (approximately 90%) are targeted at the maintenance and renewal of the network with c. 10% of the remaining funding invested in new roads/bridges or for road realignments.

My Department provides grant assistance to local authorities under the Regional and Local Road Grant Programme for a number of targeted programmes, including the Safety Improvement Works Programme. Applications are sought each year from local authorities under this programme for consideration for funding in the subsequent year. Councils are made aware of this and are asked to submit applications in order of priority. Proposals for individual Safety Improvement Works projects costing in excess of €250,000 are outside of the scope of this scheme and are to be considered under the Specific Improvement Grant Programme.

Any road improvement projects proposed by local authorities for consideration for funding under the Specific Improvement Grant Programme are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and the Department's Transport Appraisal Framework. Given the limited funding available for regional and local road improvement works it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.

In 2026, Clare County Council received an allocation of €100,000 under the Specific Improvement Grant Programme for the R478 Liscannor Village scheme.

Furthermore, Clare County Council is responsible for deciding its annual programme for road maintenance and the Department has no role in that process.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from councils' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

My Department provides grant assistance to local authorities under the Regional and Local Road Grant Programme for a number of targeted programmes, and up to 2025 this included the Former National Roads Programme. Applications were sought each year from local authorities under this programme for consideration for funding in the subsequent year. The purpose of this grant was to provide assistance to local authorities specifically for the maintenance of former national roads.

In 2025, the funding drawn down by Clare County Council under the Former National Roads Programme was €233,926.

Planning and implementation of the scheme is the responsibility of Clare County Council.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from councils' own resources, which are supplemented by State grants for regional and local roads. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

On 17 February I announced an Exchequer investment of €718 million in our regional and local roads across the State. This will facilitate an increase in funding allocation of €26 million this year for road protection and renewal works.

The three most significant grant programmes for local authorities in terms of monies and maintaining the road network to a serviceable condition are:

1) Restoration Maintenance Grant:This mainly supports the road surface dressing programme. This is important in terms of sealing the road surface (preventing the ingress of water) and in maintaining adequate skid resistance;?

2) Restoration Improvement Grant:This grant funds the road pavement strengthening programme and is fundamental to maintaining the road network. It caters for pavement overlay works and for complete road rehabilitation works as well as related drainage works, where required; and

3) Discretionary Grant:This grant can be used for a variety of maintenance and repair works on roads and can also be used for winter maintenance purposes.

The funding that each local authority receives under these grant programmes is based predominately on the road length with some allowance for traffic factors. Based on an overall budget of €86.19 million for the Discretionary Grant, Clare County Council's allocation in 2026 has increased. Department grants are intended to be supplemented by a realistic level of funding from local authorities’ own resources.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from councils' own resources, which are supplemented by State grants for regional and local roads. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

On 17 February I announced an Exchequer investment of €718 million in our regional and local roads across the State. This will facilitate an increase in funding allocation of €26 million this year for road protection and renewal works. In 2026, Clare County Council has received an allocation of €31,788,700. Of this €26,628,700 has been allocated for the protection and renewal of Clare's regional and local roads.

Within the budget available for the regional and local road grant programme, the Department's grant funding for the maintenance of regional and local roads is allocated on as fair and equitable a basis as possible to eligible local authorities. In this context, grants in the main grant categories are allocated based on the length of the road network within a local authority's area of responsibility with some account taken of traffic. It is envisaged that grants will continue to be made available on that basis.

Clare County Council is responsible for deciding its annual programme for road maintenance and the Department has no role in that process. It is also open to each local authority to allocate its own resources to priority areas. It should be noted that decisions regarding allocations to individual Municipal Districts are a matter for each local authority, taking into account the funding available to it from local and State sources as well as its particular priorities.

In 2018, the Department introduced ring-fenced funding for Community Involvement Schemes (CIS). The purpose of the CIS is to facilitate local community participation in the repair of local roads. The focus of the programme is on the repair of more lightly trafficked public roads which might not be high on the list of a local authority's annual roadwork programme. Under the scheme a local community can contribute in money or in kind, for example by making labour or machinery available.

While community contributions in the range 15% to 30% had been required up to 2021, depending on the mix between works and monies, the contribution rates were reduced to a minimum of 10% for monetary contributions and 20% for works contribution. This is more in line with Local Improvement Scheme contribution rates.

From 2026 the contribution rate for monetary contributions has been reduced to a minimum of 8%, with the contribution rate remaining at 20% for works contribution.

In order to allow for sufficient planning and applications for this scheme, local authorities are invited to apply for funding for CIS projects for a two-year programme, with the latest round of applications received in late 2025 for the 2026/2027 period.

In 2026, Clare County Council received an allocation of €786,600 under the Community Involvement Scheme.

It should be noted that Exchequer funding for regional and local roads is intended to supplement realistic contributions from local authorities’ own resources. As the statutory road authorities for their areas, it is open to local authorities to prioritise investment on regional and local roads.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, including testing and scheduling matters. The latest information provided to me by the RSA indicates that as of 7 March, the average waiting time for a driving test in Wexford was approximately 10 weeks. This marks a significant improvement on the 29 week average wait time in April 2025 and is in line with the national average service level agreement target of 10 weeks.

The Deputy may wish to note that the RSA publish detailed monthly information on the driver testing service on the CSO website, including the breakdown of waiting times and distribution of testing capacity by test centre. This information is available at the following link: https://data.cso.ie/product/RSADTS.

In 2024, my Department commissioned Indecon Economic Consultants to carry out an independent, external review of the RSA. This review was presented to Government and published in November 2024.

In total, the report made 34 recommendations. At the core of the recommendations was that the operational services run by the RSA should be separated from its research, media campaigns, partnerships and education programmes to improve road safety. A related recommendation was that the RSA’s public interest work should receive Exchequer subvention.

Since the publication of the review, RSA reform activities have been taken forward on several fronts. For the first time since 2012, the fees for certain RSA services increased on 1 January 2025 to raise additional revenue and improve the RSA’s financial position; €18m has been specifically ringfenced for annual investment in public interest work in both 2025 and 2026; the Road Safety Communications Steering Group was established in December 2024; the Department of Transport took over central responsibility for the coordination of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy commencing with the July 2025 publication of the Phase 2 Action Plan; and, a new Chair and three new ordinary members were appointed to the RSA board during 2025 with a stronger focus on the RSA’s operational mandate.

In terms of the recommendation to separate out the RSA’s operational and public interest functions, I have decided not to pursue this recommendation as I believe that reform can be delivered more efficiently and effectively within the existing RSA organisational structure. I have directed my officials to prepare revised reform proposals in line with this decision and I will present these to Government in the coming weeks.

I wish to advise that all enquiries relating to driver licensing are handled by the National Driver Licence Service, the provision of which I have delegated under national legislation to the Road Safety Authority. Neither I nor the Department have any role in individual driving licence matters.

I have referred this matter to the Authority for direct reply. Please contact my office if a reply has not been received from the RSA in the next ten days

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. This includes all testing and scheduling matters. Therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is held by the Authority. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the RSA for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.

Pending this response, the latest information provided to me by the RSA indicates that as of 7 March, the average waiting time for a driving test in the Galway test centres at Clybaun Hotel, Carnmore and Loughrea were 11, 13 and 8 weeks respectively. This marks a significant improvement on the waiting times in April of last year, when those figures were 26, 42, and 22 weeks. I expect the RSA to continue to work to bring the wait time in the Galway test centres in line with the 10-week target as soon as possible.

Additionally, the Deputy may wish to note that the statistics for waiting times for individual test centres are made available on the CSO website on a monthly basis and can be accessed via the following link: https://data.cso.ie/table/ROA36

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. The Luas Contract is awarded jointly by the NTA and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). The day-to-day operation of the Luas is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

The Department has no maintenance contracts with the aforenamed company. I have referred your PQ to the agencies for direct reply. If you do not hear from them within 10 working days, please contact my private office.

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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation (PSO) contracts, including the TFI child (5-8) Leap Card.

In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the National Driving Test Service. Neither I nor my officials are involved in the service at an operational level. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the RSA for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.

Pending this more detailed response, I am informed that the Driver Theory Test provider offers various options to accommodate candidates who may require special assistance to take their test. Additional supports include a voiceover option whereby the questions and answers are read out to the candidate over headphones. Additional time may also be allowed for a candidate to take the test. In addition, there is also a reader recorder service available whereby a staff member will read the questions and answer options to the candidate and record their answers on screen. Other services offered include dyslexia support, professional and Irish Sign Language (ISL) video clips, or ISL interpreters.

Test Day Assistance and Support Services must be booked in advance by calling 0818 606 106 or via the postal application form available for download at https://theorytest.ie/general-information/test-day-assistance-support/

The RSA assures my Department that they continuously seek to review its services to ensure customers are supported and welcomes the feedback of customers and their advocates.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. This includes all testing and scheduling matters. Therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is held by the Authority. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the RSA for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.

Pending this response, the latest information provided to me by the RSA indicates that as of 7 March, the average waiting time across the two centres in Carlow was 10 weeks. The average wait time at the Carlow centre as at 7 March was 8 weeks and 12 weeks at the Carlow Talbot Hotel centre.

The Deputy will be aware that reducing driver test waiting times has been one of my key priorities since taking office. To that end, in May 2025, I directed the RSA to produce and publish a service recovery plan to meet the 10-week average national waiting time target by September 2025, which was achieved.

In September 2024, my Department conveyed sanction for 70 additional driver testing posts on a permanent basis, bringing the permanent sanction to 200, which represents a doubling of permanent posts since June 2022. As of 7 March, 194 testers were in place, which marks a significant increase on the 151 available at the beginning of 2025. The RSA is working to reach its full complement of 200 testers this year subject to the next successful training and onboarding of new recruits.

I would also highlight that, to manage demand effectively at national level, testers, although formally assigned to specific centres, are routinely deployed to other locations as required. The RSA has also indicated that overtime and bank holiday testing will continue in 2026.

The driver testing booking system now makes available cancelled test slots for candidates to take up at short notice. I would encourage learner drivers awaiting a test to monitor this channel, which may provide an opportunity to book an earlier testing date.

Additionally, the Deputy may wish to note that the statistics for waiting times for individual test centres are made available on the CSO website on a monthly basis and can be accessed via the following link: https://data.cso.ie/table/ROA36

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. This includes all testing and scheduling matters. Therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is held by the Authority. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the RSA for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.

Pending this response, the latest information provided to me by the RSA indicates that as of 7 March, the average wait time for a driving test in the Kilkenny was 12 weeks . I am informed by the RSA that it continues to focus on reducing wait times for those centres which are above the 10 week average service level agreement target.

The Deputy will be aware that reducing driver test waiting times has been one of my key priorities since taking office. To that end, in May 2025, I directed the RSA to produce and publish a service recovery plan to meet the 10-week average national waiting time target by September 2025, which was achieved.

In September 2024, my Department conveyed sanction for 70 additional driver testing posts on a permanent basis, bringing the permanent sanction to 200, which represents a doubling of permanent posts since June 2022. As of 7 March, 194 testers were in place, which marks a significant increase on the 151 available at the beginning of 2025. The RSA is working to reach its full complement of 200 testers this year subject to the next successful training and onboarding of new recruits.

The RSA has also indicated that overtime and bank holiday testing will continue in 2026. I would also highlight that, to manage demand effectively at national level, testers, although formally assigned to specific centres, are routinely deployed to other locations as required. The RSA has also indicated that overtime and bank holiday testing will continue in 2026.

The driver testing booking system now makes available cancelled test slots for candidates to take up at short notice. I would encourage learner drivers awaiting a test to monitor this channel, which may provide an opportunity to book an earlier testing date.

Additionally, the Deputy may wish to note that the statistics for waiting times for individual test centres are made available on the CSO website on a monthly basis and can be accessed via the following link: https://data.cso.ie/table/ROA36

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Car Testing Service. Neither I nor my officials are involved in the delivery of the service at an operational level and the information requested is held by the Authority.

Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

The Programme for Government commits to substantially increasing the number of publicly available EV charging points and to develop a new National EV Infrastructure Strategy.

In delivering on this commitment, a new National EV Infrastructure Strategy 2026-2028 has been developed by my Department, and was published for public consultation on 26th February.

My Department has also launched a number of schemes to provide for increased high quality charging on the national network.

The EV Recharging Infrastructure LDV En-Route Grant Schemes, which include sites in Kilkenny and are administered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), will significantly expand high power charging availability across the national, regional and local road network, creating a more convenient and reliable system for drivers nationwide. Each recharging pool will provide fast and ultra-fast recharging points, so that people can charge their EVs quickly.

There is also a Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan. This plan, which focuses on destination and neighbourhood charging, was published in 2025. The plan will be led by Local Authorities in partnership with both public and private sectors. Kilkenny has been identified under Region 5 with counties Waterford, Wexford, Carlow, and Regional Lead Tipperary.

A third initiative, the Shared Island Sports Club EV Charging Scheme provides funding to install a network of publicly accessible chargers in communities nationwide through their local sports clubs. Included in the scope of the Scheme are 227 clubs of which 179 are in Ireland and 48 in Northern Ireland. There are 2 eligible clubs in Kilkenny: Erin's Own GAA and St. Patrick's Ballyragget GAA Club.

Government will continue to facilitate the rollout of further high powered chargers as having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you in relation to the N70 Ring of Kerry road in Glenbeigh village.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you in relation to the N70 Ring of Kerry road in Cahersiveen town.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.

In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

Following the publication of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in July 2024, my Department, with the support of the European Investment Bank and in conjunction with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, oversaw the preparation of the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy. The Prioritisation Strategy was published in December 2025 and outlines the approach to sequencing and optimising the recommendations of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in the coming years.

In the short-term to 2030, the Prioritisation Strategy specifies a number of 'Early Interventions' to be delivered in the coming years, including passing loops at Mosney and Skerries to boost the rail network’s resilience and capacity. These investments are funded to be fully delivered by 2030 under the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, published in November 2025.

The Prioritisation Strategy also identifies 'Major Projects' with longer lead-in and development timelines. These projects are generally targeted to secure the necessary approvals within the next five years such that construction works could commence thereafter, and include line speed improvements, capacity enhancements and electrification of the Dublin-Belfast line.

The Prioritisation Strategy has a 20-year time horizon, which does not cover the entire period to 2050 envisaged by the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. Projects not included in the Prioritisation Strategy, including a rail spur from Clongriffin to Dublin Airport, are intended to be progressed in the longer-run.

It should be noted that individual programmes and projects referred to within the All-Island Strategic Rail Review and the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy will be advanced subject to funding and relevant approvals, as required under the Infrastructure Guidelines.

In advance of the rail spur, MetroLink will connect Dublin Airport to the heavy rail network at Glasnevin and Tara Street stations. The project will therefore help deliver strategic connectivity for Dublin Airport across the island of Ireland.

The Glasnevin MetroLink station will also enable direct interchange with Iarnród Éireann services to Sligo and Kildare and the planned DART+ West service to Maynooth. Meanwhile, the MetroLink Tara Street station will facilitate interchange with rail services towards Wexford, and DART services along the Dublin and north Wicklow coastline.

Furthermore, the MetroLink stops at O'Connell Street, St Stephen's Green and Charlemont will allow for easy access to nearby Green Line and Red Line Luas stops. Several MetroLink stops will also be within close proximity to BusConnects services, including Swords Central, Northwood, Collins Avenue, Griffith Park, Glasnevin, O'Connell Street, Tara Street and Stephen's Green.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 216 together.

Following the publication of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in July 2024, my Department, with the support of the European Investment Bank and in conjunction with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, oversaw the preparation of the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy. The Prioritisation Strategy was published in December 2025 and outlines the approach to sequencing and optimising the recommendations of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in the coming years.

In the short-term to 2030, the Prioritisation Strategy specifies a number of 'Early Interventions' to be delivered in the coming years, including passing loops at Mosney and Skerries to boost the rail network’s resilience and capacity. These investments are funded to be fully delivered by 2030 under the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, published in November 2025.

The Prioritisation Strategy also identifies 'Major Projects' with longer lead-in and development timelines. These projects are generally targeted to secure the necessary approvals within the next five years such that construction works could commence thereafter, and include line speed improvements, capacity enhancements and electrification of the Dublin-Belfast line.

The Prioritisation Strategy has a 20-year time horizon, which does not cover the entire period to 2050 envisaged by the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. Projects not included in the Prioritisation Strategy, including a rail spur from Clongriffin to Dublin Airport, are intended to be progressed in the longer-run.

It should be noted that individual programmes and projects referred to within the All-Island Strategic Rail Review and the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy will be advanced subject to funding and relevant approvals, as required under the Infrastructure Guidelines.

In advance of the rail spur, MetroLinkwill connect Dublin Airport to the heavy rail network at Glasnevin and Tara Street stations. The project will therefore help deliver strategic connectivity for Dublin Airport across the island of Ireland.

The Glasnevin MetroLink station will also enable direct interchange with Iarnród Éireann services to Sligo and Kildare and the planned DART+ West service to Maynooth. Meanwhile, the MetroLink Tara Street station will facilitate interchange with rail services towards Wexford, and DART services along the Dublin and north Wicklow coastline.

Furthermore, the MetroLink stops at O'Connell Street, St Stephen's Green and Charlemont will allow for easy access to nearby Green Line and Red Line Luas stops. Several MetroLink stops will also be within close proximity to BusConnects services, including Swords Central, Northwood, Collins Avenue, Griffith Park, Glasnevin, O'Connell Street, Tara Street and Stephen's Green.

As the Deputy may be aware, as Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including MetroLink.

MetroLink will be a fully segregated and mostly underground new railway line between Swords and Dublin City Centre, the first of its kind in Ireland. It is a key project under the National Development Plan 2021-30. MetroLink will be able to carry a peak capacity of 20,000 passengers per hour per direction in the future.

The stations on MetroLink's route will connect with Iarnród Éireann and DART/DART+ services at Glasnevin and Tara Street stations. The project will therefore help deliver strategic connectivity for Dublin Airport across the island of Ireland.

The MetroLink Tara Street station will facilitate interchange with DART services along the Dublin and north Wicklow coastline.

As part of the DART+ programme, DART+ Coastal North will provide an extension of DART services from Malahide to Drogheda, serving stations on the Northern line. The Railway Order for DART+ Coastal North was approved by An Coimisiún Pleanála in August 2025.

Three fleet orders have been placed comprising 285 battery-electric and electric DART carriages. The first order for the purchase of 95 DART carriages, have started to arrive in Ireland and are currently undergoing certification and safety testing. It is intended that the new battery-electric sets will be initially deployed on the Northern Commuter Line serving Dublin to/from Drogheda from 2027, which will provide additional capacity on the line.

The NDP Sectoral Investment Plan published by my Department in November 2025 notes that there is also the potential to commence works on elements of DART+ Coastal North, including supporting infrastructure such as track passing loops and a new platform at Drogheda station, prior to 2030, in advance of works on Overhead Line Equipment (OHLE).

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, 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 working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has the statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, which includes MetroLink.

I understand that the Metrolink team has been proactively working on the issues of workforce planning and worker accommodation. I understand that this includes engagement with the Land Development Agency, as well as other methods which would boost housing supply.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.

Road collision data in the State are primarily compiled through a long-standing, multi-agency process involving An Garda Síochána, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), and the Department of Transport.

An Garda Síochána is responsible for collecting and recording road traffic collision information at the scene of each incident. These data are then transmitted to the RSA, which undertakes validation, analysis and publication of national road safety statistics. This includes details such as collision type, severity, and location. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) also has full access to this data as part of its requirement to comply with the European Directive for Road Improvement Safety Management.

The RSA has a statutory remit to report on fatal, serious and minor injury collisions on public roads. The RSA receives both collision data from An Garda Síochána and coronial data for this purpose and produces official statistics to help develop evidence-based road safety interventions.

TII operates a dedicated Reactive Road Safety Programme for the national road network. Under this system collision data are used to identify high-collision locations across the network. Where such sites are detected, TII formally notifies the relevant Local Authority and requires the Local Authority to propose a scheme, as the road authority, to address the issues identified. TII subsequently provides funding for targeted safety improvement schemes to address the issues identified.

The Department of Transport provides funding to Local Authorities each year under the Low-Cost Safety Improvement Scheme to support small-scale engineering measures that address identified road safety issues for regional and local roads. Through the Department of Transport Support Office, the Department issues Location of Interest (LOI) reports annually to each road authority. These reports identify high risk locations based on collision data analysis and assist Local Authorities in reviewing potential safety issues on their networks and preparing applications for the following year’s funding programme. Since 2022, more than 400 locations of interest have been funded under low-cost safety schemes and local authorities continue to review and apply for funding to complete additional schemes each year. This year €14 million has been allocated, representing an increase of €1 million (approximately 8%) on 2025 allocations.

The Department also funds larger Road Safety Interventions through the Specific Grants and Strategic Regional and Local Roads Grant programmes.

Separately, TII has recently published the Network-Wide Road Safety Assessment (NWA). This safety rating system evaluates approximately 2500km of the national primary road network by combining both historical collision data and data from current proactive infrastructure inspections.

Enforcement of road traffic offences, such as speeding, is the primary responsibility of An Garda Síochána. This includes enforcement of speeding laws through the use of cameras.

There are currently 5 average speed cameras in operation across the road network. These are located in the following locations -

• Dublin Port Tunnel

• M7

• N3 Cavan

• N5 Mayo

• N2 Meath

In addition there are nine static safety cameras in operation. These are located at the following locations -

• N17 Mayo

• N59 Galway

• N13 Donegal

• N69 Limerick

• R772 Wexford

• N22 Cork

• N80 Carlow

• N25 Kilkenny

• Dolphin's Barn Dublin 12

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras across the road network to encourage safer driving. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan, as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy.

To assist An Garda Síochána in meeting these objectives, a National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy.

It should also be noted that camera enforcement has been increasing. There are now 9,000 hours of GoSafe monitoring carried out on our roads each month and since late 2024, An Garda Síochána with the assistance of TII and local authorities installed three additional average speed camera zones and nine static camera locations.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. There has a significant amount of investment for Greenway schemes in County Kerry with €9,950,000 allocated in 2026, with €9,200,000 allocated to the South Kerry Greenway project.

In line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Investment in Greenway and National Roads Active Travel projects is also subject to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and necessary statutory approvals.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

Collection of collision data at the scene of road traffic collisions is done by An Garda Síochána in the first instance. If appropriate, the Coroner’s Office may also compile information about fatal incidents. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has a statutory remit to report on fatal, serious and minor injury collisions on public roads. The RSA receives collision data from An Garda Síochána and coronial data for this purpose. I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct reply, if sufficient information exists for the Authority to do so. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme was launched in March 2021 with the aim of supporting walking, scooting, and cycling to primary and post-primary schools, and creating safer walking and cycling routes within communities, through the provision of infrastructure interventions including, in some cases, School Zones.

These projects should help alleviate congestion at school gates and increase the number of students who walk or cycle to school. The Safe Routes to School Programme is funded by my Department through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and An Taisce's Green Schools is co-ordinating the programme.

Invitations to express interest were sent to all primary and secondary schools in the country, and 932 applications were received from schools across every county in Ireland. Schools are processed in tranches, with four rounds having been announced to date. Over 500 schools are either active in the programme or have had projects completed. It should be noted that all schools that applied to the original call for applications were accepted into the programme, and if not selected in the rounds to date will be selected in forthcoming rounds.

Given the pipeline of projects due for completion and the number of remaining schools waiting to enter the programme, there are currently no plans for an additional call for schools to join the SRTS programme. It should however be noted that funding for Active Travel infrastructure for schools is not confined to the Safe Routes to Schools Programme alone. In some cases, schools outside the SRTS Programme are included in wider Active Travel projects if they are in the vicinity of these works.

Motorists who speed currently face three penalty points and a fixed charge notice (FCN) of €160, rising to €240 if not paid within 28 days. If after 56 days the motorist has not paid the FCN, the offence is referred to the courts, where the motorist may choose to accept the penalty points and pay a €320 FCN up to seven days before the court date. If the motorist chooses to go to court and is convicted of a speeding offence, they could be fined up to €1000 and receive five penalty points.

The Programme for Government commits to reviewing a graduated penalty points system and this commitment is reaffirmed in the Phase 2 Action Plan 2025-2027 of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy. Primary action 7 of the action plan commits to develop the legislation for graduated speeding sanctions to ensure a structured and proportionate approach to penalising speed violations based on severity and risk.

My Department is progressing a new Road Traffic Bill this year which will include provisions to support the introduction of a graduated penalty points system for speeding.

As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that both the English and Irish language versions of the fixed charge notice form, as set out in the Road Traffic Act 2010 (Section 36(1) (Prescribed Notice) Regulations 2017 (SI 243 of 2017), require that the Guard completing the form specifies the location of the alleged offence in question. In the case of speeding, the form also requires specific detail of the speed zone at that location and the speed at which the driver was detected.

As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that, as addressed in my Department's response to Parliamentary Question 11653/26 of 17 February, there is no specific statutory penalty points appeals procedure provided for in the Road Traffic Acts. On that basis, I cannot point the Deputy to any previous review as there is no appeals mechanism to review.

A driver may, in very limited and exceptional circumstances, such as the theft of a vehicle, a verified detection error or a genuine medical emergency, apply to An Garda Síochána for the cancellation of a fixed charge and, by extension, any penalty points associated with that charge. A driver who cannot provide sufficient grounds for such a cancellation has the option of refusing to pay the fixed charge and arguing their case in the District Court.

My Department is of the view that the cancellation procedure and the option of going to court provide adequate recourse to drivers who feel they have been unfairly issued with penalty points, and does not consider the introduction of a statutory appeals mechanism to be necessary at this time.

Investment in public transport nationwide is an all time high. The 2026-2030 National Development Plan outlines a €24.3 billion investment in Ireland's transport sector, with a focus on enhancing public transport and active travel. This marks a transformative moment for Ireland’s transport system, delivering sustainable and accessible travel options to connect us all. Additionally, as secured in Budget 2026, the PSO programme and associated services are being supported by an unprecedented increase in funding of €940 million - a 43% increase compared to last year.

The focus for 2026 is on stabilising and strengthening the PSO position, ensuring services already in place can operate reliably and sustainably, and progressing improvements that are already in train. We are therefore focused on consolidating and strengthening the current network, while progressing improvements already underway, including Phase 7 BusConnects route adjustments and the new Mullingar town service. The NTA will continue to prioritise improvements, within its €940 million allocation.

With over 363.5 million journeys undertaken in 2025, supported by the PSO programme, Ireland’s public transport system is at a pivotal point. Growing passenger demand, urban congestion, and increasing reliance on public transport for commuting and essential travel highlight the need for reliable and sustainable services.

At the same time, the public transport sector is currently experiencing workforce shortages, particularly among drivers, mechanics, and craftworkers. This challenge is affecting some service performance across the network. However, operators are actively engaging with the NTA and the Department to identify and implement solutions to address these resource constraints.

In this context, maintaining and strengthening the existing network is essential to safeguard the delivery of high-demand services to ensure they can operate effectively, while supporting longer-term reforms to enhance capacity, accessibility, and efficiency across the system. The PSO funding allows the NTA to operate the network on a sustainable basis and to prioritise any necessary changes in line with operational capacity and passenger needs. Subsequently decisions on service changes or enhancements are a matter for the NTA, taking account of available funding, operational readiness, and driver availability.

I can assure you the Government remains fully committed to expanding and improving our transport network, ensuring that public transport is an affordable, reliable and attractive option for all.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you in relation to the M50.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Therefore, matters relating to the day to day operations regarding national roads, including toll roads are within the remit of TII. More specifically, the statutory power to levy tolls, to make toll bye-laws and to enter into agreements with private investors are vested in TII under Part V of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended). Moreover, the contracts for the privately-operated toll schemes are commercial agreements between TII and the Public Private Partnership (PPP) concessionaires concerned.

Noting the above position, I have referred the question regarding tolls to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together.

Regulation (EU) 376/2014 on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation has been fully implemented and applied in the State.

Ireland has provided for statutory protections for employees and contracted personnel who report or are mentioned in occurrence reports collected in accordance with Articles 4 and 5 of Regulations (EU) 376/2014 to ensure that they are not subject to any prejudice by their employer or by the organisation for which the services are provided based on the information supplied by the reporter.

S.I. No. 195/2020, European Union (Reporting, Analysis and Follow-up of Occurrences in Civil Aviation) Regulations 2020, designated the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) as the competent authority in the State for the purposes of Regulation (EU) No. 376/2014.

In addition to designating the IAA as the competent authority for Regulation (EU) 376/2014, S.I. No. 195/2020 also designated the IAA as the “just culture body” responsible for the implementation of paragraphs 6, 9 and 11 of Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 376/2014.

The IAA’s role under those articles is to ensure:

• there is refrain from instituting proceedings in respect of unpremeditated or inadvertent infringements of the law (Article 16.6) which come to it attention only because they have been reported pursuant to Articles 4 and 5;

• that an employer or an organisation for which the services are provided do not subject any personnel to any prejudice based on the information supplied by the reporter (Article 16.9); and

• that each organisation, after consulting its staff representatives, adopt internal rules describing how ‘just culture’ principles, in particular the principle of non-prejudice, are guaranteed and implemented within that organisation (Article 16.11).

S.I. No. 195/2014 also provides for the redress for contravention of Article 16(9) through the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). This provides a forum for any person to seek redress if they believe they have been prejudiced, by allowing them to lodge a complaint with the WRC. The S.I. also sets out the application of the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2015.

The IAA is also a prescribed body under the Protected Disclosure Act 2014, regarding all matters relating to the management of Irish controlled airspace and the safety regulation of Irish civil aviation and the oversight of civil aviation security in the State. The prescribed person to receive such disclosures is the Company Secretary of the Irish Aviation Authority.

Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (Whistleblower Directive) outlines the importance of whistleblower protection in terms of preventing and deterring breaches of EU rules on transport safety. Article 3 of the Directive provides that where specific rules on the reporting of breaches are provided for in sector-specific Union acts, those rules apply. The Directive clearly states that the specific rules on the reporting of breaches provided for in Regulation (EU) 376/2014 shall apply.

The IAA has separate and distinct processes for managing protected disclosures and for dealing with complaints as the just culture body.

I am satisfied that the IAA, in respect of its role as the just culture body is enforcing Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 in relation to aviation occurrence reporting and whistleblower protection.

I have no responsibility for the Health and Safety Authority and cannot comment on its arrangements.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 231, 250, 263, 279 and 343 together.

Road safety is a core priority for me and the Government and the current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. The Strategy has the target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% this decade, and to achieving Vision Zero—as close as possible to no deaths or serious injuries on Irish roads—by 2050.

The Phase 2 Action Plan 2025–2027 under the Strategy was published in July 2025. In total, the Phase 2 Plan contains 12 primary and 77 support actions, with the potential to deliver truly transformative change. Actions are being delivered through partnership and collaborative working by road safety stakeholders.

My Department is responsible for the central co-ordination of the Road Safety Strategy and implementation of the Phase 2 Action Plan is overseen at Ministerial level by the Road Safety Leadership Group (RSLG). I chair this Group which is attended by the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs. This Group also comprises senior officials from all key road safety partners including An Garda Síochána, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Transport Infrastructure Ireland, National Transport Authority, the Courts Service, Medical Bureau of Road Safety, Health and Safety Authority and the Local Authorities

The Group oversees implementation of the Strategy. Action owners are required to report quarterly on actions in their areas and the RSLG meets quarterly to review these updates and to discuss progress on the delivery of the 12 Primary Actions. Additional updates as required are provided on the 77 support actions.

A Road User Safety Forum is also in place and gives a range of road user and road safety advocates an opportunity to contribute to the Phase 2 Action Plan.

The RSA has the statutory remit for the promotion of public awareness of road safety and of measures, including the advancement of education, relating to the promotion of the safe use of roads. The Deputies may be aware that the Department is developing revised proposals for reform of the RSA while retaining the current overall structure of the Authority. Having considered the recommendations of the 2024 Indecon review of the RSA, Minister O’Brien and I have decided not to replace the RSA by the creation of two new entities. However, we are strongly of the view that change is still needed and that reform of the RSA remains necessary. Updated reform proposals, including consideration of using high-profile road safety ambassadors, will be informed by the findings of the Indecon review and experience over the last year. I will present these proposals to Government in the coming weeks.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 232, 233 and 234 together.

Deputy,

There have been no staff from the Department seconded to or from a firm in the private sector, from 2022 to date in 2026.

The details of staff seconded to other Departments or agencies in the Civil Service, in each year from 2022 to date in 2026 are outlined in the table below.

As Minister of Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail network and stations on the network, including any additional parking at Thurles train station, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance.

Given Iarnród Éireann's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct, detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 375 together.

The current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 , which was launched in December 2021 and follows international best practice, aligns with EU and UN targets, and is based on the Safe Systems approach. The Strategy has the target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% this decade, and to achieving Vision Zero—as close as possible to no deaths or serious injuries on Irish roads—by 2050. A great deal of work is currently underway to deliver on the targets set out in this Strategy.

In July 2025, I published the Phase 2 Action Plan under the Road Safety Strategy , which will run from 2025 to 2027. This phase of the Road Safety Strategy identifies 12 primary actions that are transformative in nature, and which are themed across the overarching, internationally recognised safe systems approach. These 12 actions are supported by a suite of a further 77 support actions which are also being implemented in partnership with road safety stakeholders.

Some of the key actions in the Phase 2 Action Plan include:

• Expanding network safety analysis of the road network to identify high-risk locations, guide investment decisions and prioritise safety interventions including for the local road network.

• Expanding the use of Safety Cameras

• Continued implementation of the 2023 Speed limit review.

• Reviewing and overhauling our learning to drive curriculum

We are progressing a significant legislative programme. The National Vehicle and Driver File Bill is targeted for enactment by the summer and will, among other measures, restore direct collision data sharing with local authorities. The next Road Traffic Bill is also under development to advance Programme for Government commitments around graduated speeding penalties and the camera enforcement of mobile phone and seatbelt offences.

We have implemented in full Phase 1 of the Speed Limit Review reducing the default speed limit on rural local roads from 80km/h to 60km/h. Phase 2 in relation to reducing speed limits from 50km/h to 30km/h in urban/built up areas is now underway. In October, local authorities were directed to review existing speed limits on roads in built-up and urban areas. Local authorities will, where appropriate, implement lower speed limits of 30km/h in cities and towns and have been directed to conclude this process by 31 March 2027.

The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan. A first National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed and I expect to publish it shortly. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future.

In the coming weeks, we will also be introducing regulations to fully ban scramblers from use in public places and enhance Garda powers of seizure. These regulations are being made in memory of Grace Lynch and the scrambler ban will be known as Grace’s Law.

Protecting vulnerable road users is a key priority. Safe and Healthy Modes of Travel is one of the seven Safe Systems pillars that underpin the Strategy, and Primary Action 1 of the current Action Plan will see the National Transport Authority invest significantly in improved infrastructure for pedestrians and other active travellers in the coming years. Supporting this action, Budget 2026 has made €360m available for such investment over the next year.

This year we are investing over €1.5billion in our roads. In addition through schemes like the Low-Cost Safety Improvement Scheme under which €14m in funding is available to local authorities for 2026 and the Reactive Road Safety Programme my Department and TII are supporting local authorities to address identified road safety issues across the roads network.

There has been a significant increase in spending on public awareness, communications and education campaigns by the RSA. In 2026 the RSA has again ringfenced funding of €18 million for awareness, education and promotional campaigns. This will ensure a continued focus on campaigns that make our roads safer for all road users, including and especially vulnerable road users.

In 2024, my Department commissioned Indecon Economic Consultants to carry out an independent, external review of the Road Safety Authority (RSA). This review was presented to Government and published in November 2024.

In total, the report made 34 recommendations. At the core of the recommendations was that the operational services run by the RSA should be separated from its research, media campaigns, partnerships and education programmes to improve road safety. A related recommendation was that the RSA’s public interest work should receive Exchequer subvention.

Since the publication of the review, RSA reform activities have been taken forward on a number of fronts. For the first time since 2012, the fees for certain RSA services increased on 1 January 2025 to raise additional revenue and improve the RSA’s financial position; €18m has been specifically ringfenced for annual investment in public interest work in both 2025 and 2026; the Road Safety Communications Steering Group was established in December 2024; the Department of Transport took over central responsibility for the coordination of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy commencing with the July 2025 publication of the Phase 2 Action Plan; and, a new Chair and three new ordinary members were appointed to the RSA board during 2025 with a stronger focus on the RSA’s operational mandate.

In terms of the recommendation to separate out the RSA’s operational and public interest functions, I have decided not to pursue this recommendation as I believe that reform can be delivered more efficiently and effectively within the existing RSA organisational structure. I have directed my officials to prepare revised reform proposals in line with this decision and will present these to Government in the coming weeks.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the provision of public transport infrastructure and services within the Greater Dublin Area. In the case of the DART network, the NTA fulfils this statutory remit in collaboration with Iarnród Éireann.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in this matter and the specific queries raised by the Deputy, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the NTA for a direct, detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.

Pending this more detailed response, the DART+ Fleet project within the wider DART+ programme is underpinned by a ten-year procurement framework for new electric and battery-electric fleet. One of the primary objectives of the design of the DART+ Fleet is to provide improved accessibility for train users. Low level flooring and entrance doors will reduce the stepping height for passengers and improve access for persons with reduced mobility.

The new carriages will prioritise independent access, with each of the low-height doorway thresholds being equipped with an automatic retractable step and offering the potential for unassisted level access from suitable platforms, aligned with platform enhancements.

Three fleet orders have been placed comprising both battery-electric and electric carriages, bringing the total number of DART carriages ordered to 285, made up of 57 five-carriage trains.

The first order for the purchase of 95 additional DART carriages, (65 battery-electric and 30 electric) have started arriving in Ireland and are currently undergoing certification and safety testing. It is intended that the new battery-electric sets will be initially deployed on the Northern Commuter Line serving Dublin to/from Drogheda from 2027.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the provision of the national Public Service Obligation bus fleet.

Noting to the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct, detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

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.

The property affairs of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) are matters for the CIÉ Board in accordance with the provisions of the Transport Acts 1950 and 1964. Further, CIÉ is responsible for managing the advertising of its operating subsidiaries: Bus Átha Cliath, Iarnród Éireann and Bus Éireann.

Therefore, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to CIÉ for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area.

Noting the role of the NTA in the matter, I have referred your question to that agency for a more detailed answer. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.

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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators, in this case Go-Ahead.

In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service, including regulation of Approved Driver Instructors (ADIs). In that regard I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.

I am informed by the RSA that its voluntary code of practice for Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) sets standards for professional, ethical, and safe instruction. ADIs are assessed or check tested bi- annually as part of the ADI re- registration process. During this check test, copies of training records from the Essential Driver Training Logbook (EDT) are inspected to ensure that all entries and information is accurate and properly maintained.

Additionally, ADIs who upload EDT sessions are monitored to ensure compliance and to detect any irregular or potentially illegal activity. The RSA Data Analysis team oversees this process and can review training volumes and ADI activity levels.

I am informed that this oversight allows the RSA to identify unusual patterns or volumes of training sessions that may indicate non-compliant or unlawful activity.

lf a learner or anybody has any concerns in relation to the behaviour of an ADI I would recommend that they contact the RSA directly.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Cycle Network (NCN); Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) manage the delivery and oversight of NCN projects.

The NCN identified core cycling corridors around the country which, when delivered, will help increase cycling rates amongst residents, leisure users, and tourists alike. The ambition of the NCN is significant; it will provide an excellent level of connectivity nationally.

For road safety reasons and cyclist comfort and confidence, the NCN plan emphasises the importance of physical segregation between cyclists and motorists on busier roads. Pilots are being conducted to assess various segregation techniques in situ to inform future infrastructure projects. The Moone to Timolin scheme is such a pilot, offering an opportunity to trial different road separation treatments along the R448.

This pilot has been delivered by Kildare County Council as the road authority and is funded by TII. I understand that the scheme underwent a formal consenting process which involved public consultation, and that in September representatives from TII, Kildare County Council and Aecom met with local stakeholders to hear their concerns regarding the scheme.

The Deputy’s query relates to a further meeting request from the Athy Municipal Committee to TII. I understand that TII have invited Kildare County Council to include the Moone to Timolin Pilot as an agenda item at their next delegation meeting. These delegation meetings represent an optimum and efficient use of available resources for both parties. They provide local authorities with the opportunity to set the meeting agenda and for TII to ensure that the relevant staff are in attendance to respond to the respective agenda items.

Noting this long-standing practice, and to maximise resource use, I suggest that the Athy Municipal Committee engage with their colleagues to request that the Timolin to Moone Pilot Scheme is included as an agenda item on the next TII/Kildare County Council delegation meeting.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 248 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. As a commercial semi-state body, Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) are responsible for the provision of pension schemes for their employees.

Following on from the constructive and collaborative approach of the Trade Union Group and CIÉ management in reaching agreement on a pathway forward as of May 2025, my Department, alongside our financial and commercial advisors NewERA, are currently engaging with all relevant stakeholders. This includes CIÉ, the Pensions Authority and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation on the next steps in progressing the agreement and bringing CIÉ pensions onto a more stable footing for the benefit of active, and retired scheme members, including review of the relevant statutory instruments and the matter of increases to pension payments.

My Department and all relevant stakeholders are endeavouring to achieve the same at the earliest, keeping in line with the appropriate procedures, compliance with all applicable requirements, and necessary approvals as part of the formal process, which is now well underway.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 245, 246 and 247 together.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service, this includes all operational matters. Neither I nor my officials are involved in the service at an operational level. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the RSA for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.

The full cost of my St Patrick's Day trip to Brazil is not yet finalised. I was accompanied by my Special Advisor and Private Secretary.

Enforcement of road traffic offences, such as speeding, is the primary responsibility of An Garda Síochána. This includes enforcement of speeding laws through the use of cameras.

There are currently 5 average speed cameras in operation across the road network. These are located in the following locations -

• Dublin Port Tunnel

• M7

• N3 Cavan

• N5 Mayo

• N2 Meath

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras across the road network to encourage safer driving. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan, as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy.

To assist An Garda Síochána in meeting these objectives, a National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy.

It should also be noted that camera enforcement has been increasing. There are now 9,000 hours of GoSafe monitoring carried out on our roads each month and since late 2024, An Garda Síochána with the assistance of TII and local authorities installed three additional average speed camera zones and nine static camera locations.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals.

I understand from TII that TII does not rank roads against each other, but instead operates a dedicated Reactive Road Safety Programme for the national road network. Under this system—set out in TII standard GE-STY-01022 (“Network Safety Ranking and Prioritisation – Reactive Approach”) collision data is used to identify high-collision locations (1km sections) across the network.

Where such sites are detected, TII formally notifies the relevant Local Authority and requires the Local Authority to propose a scheme, as the road authority, to address the issues identified. TII subsequently provides funding for targeted safety improvement schemes to address the issues identified. This process is detailed in GE-STY-01036 (“Road Safety Improvement Schemes”). On average €26 million is allocated to this programme each year.

For more information on the Reactive Road Safety System please see this website: https://cdn.tii.ie/publications/GE-STY-01022-03.pdf and for more information on the Improvement Scheme process, please see this website: https://cdn.tii.ie/publications/GE-STY-01036-01.pdf

Separately, TII has recently published the Network-Wide Road Safety Assessment (NWA). This safety rating system evaluates approximately 2500km of the national primary road network by combining both historical collision data and data from current proactive infrastructure inspections. The website can be viewed here: tii-nwa-2024-map-national-primary-roads.pdf (https://linkscan.io/scan/ux/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGlpLmllL21lZGlhL2xqMG40NTQ1L3RpaS1ud2EtMjAyNC1tYXAtbmF0aW9uYWwtcHJpbWFyeS1yb2Fkcy5wZGY=/CB2FE3C87BBF40CEC6E3D2B6BC20973C4D105DAE6536891815B13DDEE9F441A0?c=5&i=1&docs=1)

In respect of the regional and local road network, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of their regional and local roads. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State grants.

Where a fatal road traffic collision occurs, the relevant local authority engineer and investigating member of An Garda Síochána meet at the site of the collision and jointly complete a collision report form named LA16. This is an action of the Road Safety Strategy 2021 - 2030.

The completed LA16 form, outlines the details of the collision, weather conditions and road conditions including signage, road markings, speed limit, roadside environment and classification of the road etc. These forms are submitted to the Roads Management Office who maintain the dataset.

My Department also funds a Network Safety Analysis of the Regional and Local Road Network across the entire country. Using available collision datasets high collision locations are identified and Locations of Interest (LoIs) reports are produced.

These LoI reports are then issued to the relevant local authority and form the basis for application for funding under the Safety Improvement Schemes Grant. In 2026 my Department allocated €14 million in Safety Improvement Schemes Grant to the sector which is funding over 330 safety schemes nationally which is an 8% increase over the 2025 allocation.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 and 280 together.

The current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. The Strategy has the target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% this decade, and to achieving Vision Zero—as close as possible to no deaths or serious injuries on Irish roads—by 2050.

The Phase 2 Action Plan 2025–2027 under the Strategy was published in July 2025. In total, the Phase 2 Plan contains 12 primary and 77 support actions, with the potential to deliver truly transformative change. Actions are being delivered through partnership and collaborative working by road safety stakeholders.

My Department is responsible for the central co-ordination of the Road Safety Strategy and implementation of the Phase 2 Action Plan is overseen at Ministerial level by the new Road Safety Leadership Group (RSLG). This Group is chaired by Minister Canney who is responsible for Road Safety and is attended by the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs. This Group also comprises senior officials from all key road safety partners including An Garda Síochána, the Road Safety Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, National Transport Authority, the Courts Service, MBRS, HSA and the Local Authorities

The Group oversees implementation of the Strategy. Action owners are required to report quarterly on actions in their areas and the RSLG meets quarterly to review these updates and to discuss progress on the delivery of the 12 Primary Actions. Additional updates as required are provided on the 77 support actions.

A Road User Safety Forum is also in place and gives a range of road user and road safety advocates an opportunity to contribute to the Phase 2 Action Plan.

I am aware of the concerns from this sector in relation to the proposal. We have met with representatives in various occasions. For context, many Member States, including Ireland, are relying heavily on a rapid transition to deliver on their decarbonisation plans. Ireland’s Climate Action Plan target is to have 30% of the national vehicle fleet be electric by 2030. This is Ireland’s single biggest transport mitigation action up to 2030.

The proposal on Clean Corporate Vehicles forms part of the European Commission’s Automotive Package, published on 16 December 2025. It is designed to accelerate the transition to zero and low emission corporate fleets, reduce fossil fuel expenditure in road transport and accelerate the availability of zero emission vehicles on the second-hand market.

Member States retain flexibility for the implementation pathway of the national targets. The corporate fleet sector is diverse, consisting large and small companies, ranging from traditional company car executive fleets to large shipping and freight companies, last-mile delivery fleets, leasing companies and short-term rental companies. Each of these sub-sectors have unique conditions that would make a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective.

We are considering the proposal in detail in terms of how it aligns with the overall objective of incentivising demand for EVs and any wider impacts. This includes an analysis of the number and profile of companies in scope, fleet characteristics and market conditions.

It should be noted that the measure remains at proposal stage, with negotiations underway at EU level. The Regulation will not be finalised until agreement is reached between the Council and the European Parliament, a process that is expected to run through 2026. As Ireland prepares to assume the EU Presidency in July 2026, it is committed to playing a neutral and constructive role in facilitating dialogue among member states.

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV sector.

As the Deputy may be aware, SPSV operators are self-employed and may decide to sign-up, or not, with a licensed dispatch operator, such as Uber, FreeNow by Lyft and Bolt. They are not obliged by my Department or the NTA to be affiliated with any dispatch operator but where they choose to do so, they are free to contract with a dispatch operator of their choice. They also decide on their own hours of work within the SPSV regulatory framework.

The NTA has published a Call for Inputs consultation on the dispatch operator licensing framework. A sustainable taxi sector is an important element of Ireland’s transport system, and I encourage all stakeholders to take the opportunity to feed into this important piece of work, as this input will inform the NTA's process and decision-making in revising the current dispatch operator framework. The closing date for the receipt of submissions is 17th April next. The public consultation can be viewed here: https://consult.nationaltransport.ie/en/content/call-inputs-dispatch-operators

Given the NTA's responsibility in regulating dispatch operators, I have referred your question to the NTA for further information. Please advise my private office if you have not received a reply within 10 working days.

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.

The Programme for Government commits to examine further investment in light rail for our cities.

The NTA is currently developing the Galway Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (GMATS), in conjunction with Galway City Council and Galway County Council. This strategy will replace the existing Galway Transport Strategy adopted in 2016 and will provide a long-term strategic planning framework for the delivery of transport and the integrated development of transport infrastructure and services in the Galway Metropolitan Area.

Part of the development of the new GMATS necessitates mode specific analysis and this is being undertaken in the form of a Light Rail Feasibility Study and a Strategic Roads Feasibility Study. Both studies will form part of the analysis used to inform the development of the multi-modal GMATS, alongside recommendations for active travel, bus, rail, roads and demand management measures.

In Galway, the Light Rail Feasibility Study was published by the NTA in October 2024 for information and has shown that there could, under the right conditions, be a case for developing a light rail system in Galway. The feasibility study will form part of the evidence base used as an input into the development of the Galway Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, which will be subject to a full environmental analysis and public consultation process in due course. It should be noted that any future light rail project in Galway will only be advanced subject to funding and securing relevant Government approval under the Infrastructure Guidelines.

The NTA considers that it is appropriate to await An Coimisiún Pleanála’s determination on the re-submitted N6 Galway City Ring Road application in order to fully develop the draft GMATS. Of course, once sufficiently developed the draft GMATS will be opened to full public consultation.

In the meantime, implementation will continue on the current Galway Transport Strategy. A significant amount of planning and design has already taken place which will enable construction activity in the coming years across active travel, bus and rail related projects including BusConnects.

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.

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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.

In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.

As queries relating to accessibility and facilities at train stations are a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I have referred your question to the company for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Following the publication of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in July 2024, my Department, with the support of the European Investment Bank and in conjunction with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, oversaw the preparation of the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy. This Strategy was published in December 2025 and outlines the approach to sequencing and optimising the recommendations of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in the coming years.

In the short-term to 2030, the Prioritisation Strategy specifies a number of 'Early Interventions' to be delivered in the coming years, including new track passing loops and platforms to boost the rail network’s resilience and capacity. These investments are funded to be fully delivered by 2030 under the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, published in November 2025. A second platform at Clara train station is included in these Early Interventions.

It should be noted that individual programmes and projects referred to within the All-Island Strategic Rail Review and the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy will be advanced subject to funding and relevant approvals, as required under the Infrastructure Guidelines.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area.

Noting the role of the NTA in the matter, I have referred your question to that agency for a more detailed answer. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.

As the accessibility of train stations and services, including advance notice and the number wheelchair spaces in carriages, are a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I have referred your question to the company for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Enforcement of road traffic offences, such as speeding, is the primary responsibility of An Garda Síochána. This includes enforcement of speeding laws through the use of cameras. The primary purpose of safety cameras is to reduce speed-related collisions, lessen injuries and save lives. Safety cameras operate in areas where there is a history of speed-related collisions known as speed enforcement zones.

There are currently 5 average speed cameras in operation across the road network. These are located in the following locations -

• Dublin Port Tunnel

• M7

• N3 Cavan

• N5 Mayo

• N2 Meath

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras across the road network to encourage safer driving. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan, as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy.

To assist An Garda Síochána in meeting these objectives, a National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy.

It should also be noted that camera enforcement has been increasing. There are now 9,000 hours of GoSafe monitoring carried out on our roads each month and since late 2024, An Garda Síochána with the assistance of TII and local authorities installed three additional average speed camera zones and nine static camera locations.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals.

I understand from TII that TII does not rank roads against each other, but instead operates a dedicated Reactive Road Safety Programme for the national road network. Under this system—set out in TII standard GE-STY-01022 (“Network Safety Ranking and Prioritisation – Reactive Approach”) collision data is used to identify high-collision locations (1km sections) across the network.

Where such sites are detected, TII formally notifies the relevant Local Authority and requires the Local Authority to propose a scheme, as the road authority, to address the issues identified. TII subsequently provides funding for targeted safety improvement schemes to address the issues identified. This process is detailed in GE-STY-01036 (“Road Safety Improvement Schemes”). On average €26 million is allocated to this programme each year.

For more information on the Reactive Road Safety System please see this website: https://cdn.tii.ie/publications/GE-STY-01022-03.pdf and for more information on the Improvement Scheme process, please see this website: https://cdn.tii.ie/publications/GE-STY-01036-01.pdf

Separately, TII has recently published the Network-Wide Road Safety Assessment (NWA). This safety rating system evaluates approximately 2500km of the national primary road network by combining both historical collision data and data from current proactive infrastructure inspections. The website can be viewed here: tii-nwa-2024-map-national-primary-roads.pdf (https://linkscan.io/scan/ux/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGlpLmllL21lZGlhL2xqMG40NTQ1L3RpaS1ud2EtMjAyNC1tYXAtbmF0aW9uYWwtcHJpbWFyeS1yb2Fkcy5wZGY=/CB2FE3C87BBF40CEC6E3D2B6BC20973C4D105DAE6536891815B13DDEE9F441A0?c=5&i=1&docs=1)

In respect of the regional and local road network, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of their regional and local roads. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State grants.

Where a fatal road traffic collision occurs, the relevant local authority engineer and investigating member of An Garda Síochána meet at the site of the collision and jointly complete a collision report form named LA16. This is an action of the Road Safety Strategy 2021 - 2030.

The completed LA16 form, outlines the details of the collision, weather conditions and road conditions including signage, road markings, speed limit, roadside environment and classification of the road etc. These forms are submitted to the Roads Management Office who maintain the dataset.

My Department also funds a Network Safety Analysis of the Regional and Local Road Network across the entire country. Using available collision datasets high collision locations are identified and Locations of Interest (LoIs) reports are produced.

These LoI reports are then issued to the relevant local authority and form the basis for application for funding under the Safety Improvement Schemes Grant. In 2026 my Department allocated €14 million in Safety Improvement Schemes Grant to the sector which is funding over 330 safety schemes nationally which is an 8% increase over the 2025 allocation.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 267 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.

As queries relating to the accessibility of rail services, including advance notice and staff assistance, are a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I have referred your question to the company for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 268 to 271, inclusive, together.

Following the publication of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in July 2024, my Department, with the support of the European Investment Bank and in conjunction with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, oversaw the preparation of the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy. This Strategy was published in December 2025 and outlines the approach to sequencing and optimising the recommendations of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in the coming years.

In the short-term to 2030, the Prioritisation Strategy specifies a number of 'Early Interventions' to be delivered in the coming years, including new track passing loops and platforms to boost the rail network’s resilience and capacity. These investments are funded to be fully delivered by 2030 under the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, published in November 2025.

Examples of Early Interventions include the recommissioning of Platform 2 at MacDiarmada station in Sligo, a passing loop between Sligo and Boyle, a second platform at Enfield, and a passing loop west of Claremorris. These interventions will support rail frequency and reliability improvements for residents of Athlone and Mullingar and their surrounding areas.

The Prioritisation Strategy also identifies 'Major Projects' with longer lead-in and development timelines. These projects are generally targeted to secure the necessary approvals within the next five years such that construction works could commence thereafter.

The Prioritisation Strategy has a 20-year time horizon, which does not cover the entire period to 2050 envisaged by the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. Projects not included in the Prioritisation Strategy, including the reinstatement of the line between Mullingar and Athlone, are intended to be progressed in the longer-run.

It should be noted that individual programmes and projects referred to within the All-Island Strategic Rail Review and the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy will be advanced subject to funding and relevant approvals, as required under the Infrastructure Guidelines.

As the Deputy may be aware, BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across our cities, including Galway. BusConnects is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the State and is managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA).

In 2023, the NTA carried out an extensive review of the bus network in Galway, in collaboration with Galway City Council, Galway County Council, local bus operators, and with the specialised expertise of transport designers Jarrett Walker and Associates. In April 2023, a draft new network was published, and the feedback and submissions received have informed the final new bus network published in December 2023.

The new bus network will enable more people to avail of public transport, resulting in increased access to a greater number of schools and workplaces across Galway City, Bearna, and Oranmore. Once this network is implemented, approximately 67% of residents will live within 400 metres of a high frequency bus route running every 15 minutes or better.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, 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.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, RSA has statutory responsibility for the promotion of public awareness campaigns and for the advancement of education specific to the safe use of roads. Given that the RSA does not receive Exchequer funding for this work, which is elaborated upon below, I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct response. I have also referred the Deputy's question to TII for a direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

Pending this response, the Deputy may be aware that the Road Safety Authority has been largely self-funded in respect of its operations since 2014. The RSA ordinarily receives annual Exchequer funding of approximately €1m to fund historic pension liabilities and its activities as Ireland's Automotive Market Surveillance Authority, which is an EU obligation that the RSA fulfils on behalf of Ireland.

The RSA has again ringfenced €18m for investment in road safety public interest activities. This includes awareness, educational, and promotion campaigns. This is in line with investment in 2025 and is part of a wider shift to bring a renewed focus on campaigns that make our roads safer for all road users.

In addition, on 9 March Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) published its Road Safety Improvement Scheme Programme Activity Report 2025, setting out how road safety risks are identified, prioritised and addressed across Ireland’s National Roads network. TII indicated that it invests an average of €26 million each year through the Road Safety Improvement Scheme programme. In 2025, more than 210 safety improvement schemes were advanced nationwide, with over 80 schemes at construction and close-out stages. These schemes address a wide range of risks on the network, including junction safety, roadside hazards, speed management and facilities for vulnerable road users.

Enforcement of road traffic offences, such as speeding, is the primary responsibility of An Garda Síochána. This includes enforcement of speeding laws through the use of cameras. There are currently five average speed cameras in operation across the road network. In addition there are nine static safety cameras in operation.

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras across the road network to encourage safer driving. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan, as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy.

To assist An Garda Síochána in meeting these objectives, a National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy.

It should also be noted that camera enforcement has been increasing. There are now 9,000 hours of GoSafe monitoring carried out on our roads each month and since late 2024, An Garda Síochána with the assistance of TII and local authorities installed three additional average speed camera zones and nine static camera locations.

Ireland’s National Aviation Policy (NAP) supports the sustainable development of Dublin Airport. I firmly believe that development at the airport needs to balance the legitimate views of those who live and work in the surrounds of the airport with the objectives of the NAP and needs of business and tourism.

On the 10th of February 2026, following completion of its assessment of An Coimisiún Pleanála’s July 2025 decision, the European Commission issued a notification advising that the process used by An Coimisiún Pleanála for the proposed introduction of operating restrictions at Dublin Airport did not fully follow the Balanced Approach process, as set out in Regulation (EU) 598/2014.

In line with the provisions of EU Regulation 598/2014 (the EU Aircraft Noise Regulation) and the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Act 2019, as the independent competent authority for this matter, An Coimisiún Pleanála will now have to examine this Decision and consider appropriate next steps.

With regard to aircraft noise regulation, the competent authority for the purposes of aircraft noise regulation in Ireland is the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA), a separate and independent Directorate within Fingal County Council. However, oversight and enforcement of compliance with any relevant planning conditions are matters for the relevant independent planning authorities.

In its role as aircraft noise regulator, ANCA carries out an annual assessment of the effectiveness of the noise management measures at Dublin Airport and publishes a report on the findings on its website. This is in addition to publishing annual reports by the airport authority on the compliance by airport users with the noise management measures.

If through regular review or an assessment of the potential impact of development at the airport it is indicated that new or amended measures are required to manage aircraft noise at the airport, ANCA will facilitate a period of public consultation on draft proposals to address any noise problem or potential noise problem.

I understand that ANCA is currently carrying out an assessment of the noise situation at Dublin Airport, including examining the effects of noise on local communities and the potential noise impact of planning applications at Dublin Airport that seek permission for infrastructure and increases to the permitted passenger capacity of the airport.

Finally, the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Act 2019 includes a requirement that I appoint a person to carry out a review of the performance by the aircraft noise competent authority, ANCA, within seven years of enactment. In line with the legislation, the first such statutory review of ANCA is due to commence this year.

I firmly believe that it is important that in ensuring the sustainable development of Dublin Airport, to balance the legitimate views of stakeholders who are concerned about the environmental and aircraft noise impacts at the airport, with the objectives of the National Aviation Policy, and the needs of business and tourism.

As you will be aware, on the 17th of July 2025, An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) published its final decision in relation to night-time air traffic operations at Dublin Airport, which included, amongst other conditions, a restriction on flights on the new north runway between midnight and 6am except in exceptional specified circumstances.

On the 8th of August 2025, ACP notified the EU Commission of the operating restrictions set out in its July 2025 decision, as required under Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 598/2014, and the Commission subsequently undertook an assessment of the process followed by ACP in its decision.

On the 10th of February 2026, following completion of its assessment, the EU Commission issued a notification advising that the process used by ACP for the proposed introduction of operating restrictions at Dublin Airport did not fully follow the Balanced Approach process, as set out in Regulation (EU) 598/2014.

The Balanced Approach involves consideration of a range of measures, such as reduction of noise at source, effective land-use planning and management, and noise abatement operational procedures, before implementing any noise-related operating restrictions at an airport.

In line with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 598/2014 and the 2019 Aircraft Noise Act, as the independent competent authority for this matter, An Coimisiún Pleanála will now have to examine this Decision and to determine the most appropriate next steps.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the provision of the national Public Service Obligation bus fleet.

Noting to the NTA's responsibility in the matter, 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 working days.

The Government approved the preparation of regulations to fully ban the use of scramblers in any public place on 4 February. It is my intention that these regulations will close any cases where scrambler use may previously have been legal outside of appropriate off-road settings and bring additional legal clarity to the existing position that scramblers are banned for use on the road in almost all cases. My Department is working with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel with a view to making these regulations in the coming weeks. I also propose to impose greater financial penalties on seized vehicles to reduce the number that re-enter circulation.

Under powers introduced by section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1994, An Garda Síochána has the power to seize mechanically propelled vehicles, such as scramblers, being driven on public roads without tax or insurance. Once seized, An Garda Síochána has the power to dispose of a seized vehicle three weeks after the date of detention, provided two weeks' notice of the intention to dispose is given. Separate seizure powers, introduced by the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, exist with respect to dangerous driving.

The current fees in respect of a vehicle seized under section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 are set out in Statutory Instrument 460/2011. I intend to introduce regulations to increase the fees associated with release of mechanically propelled vehicles, such as scramblers, which have been seized under this section. The precise value of this increase is yet to be determined and will be made in consultation with the Minister for Justice.

Enforcement of seizure powers, including the development of a Code of Practice on the use of drones, is a matter for An Garda Síochána and the Minister for Justice is better placed to answer questions on this issue.

Collision data are collected by members of An Garda Síochána at the scene of road traffic accidents. These data were previously shared with local authorities, via the Road Safety Authority, to enable them to identify locations of interest (accident blackspots) that would benefit from safety improvements. Due to the presence of personal information in the data, legal advice related to GDPR has meant that local authorities stopped receipt of collision data since November 2023. As well as sharing of the data, the local authorities have identified an issue with the legal basis to process the data, once received. The National Vehicle and Driver File Bill 2025 will, once enacted, provide a legal basis for local authorities to receive and process the collision data.

As an interim measure, the Department of Transport has been undertaking detailed collision analysis on the regional and local road network to identify locations of interest. When locations of interest are identified, the Department notifies the affected local authority. In turn, local authorities can apply for funding of low-cost safety schemes for these locations of interest.

The General Scheme of the National Vehicle and Driver File Bill 2025 has been approved by Government and is with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for drafting. The passage of this Bill is a Programme for Government commitment and will amend the Roads Act 1993 to provide a basis for the resumption of direct sharing of road traffic collision data with local authorities. The Bill will be published in the coming weeks with enactment targeted for the first half of 2026.

The current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 and a great deal of work is currently underway to deliver on the targets set out in this Strategy.

The Phase 2 Action Plan published in July 2025 contains 12 primary and 77 supporting actions, with the potential to deliver real transformative change. These actions are grounded in the internationally recognised Safe Systems approach and will be delivered through partnership and collaborative working by road safety stakeholders. Some of the key actions include –

• investing significantly into new and improved active travel and public transport;

• expanding the use of safety cameras;

• expanding network safety analysis of the road network to identify high-risk locations, guide investment decisions and prioritise safety interventions including for the local road network;

• implementing in full all actions in the Phase 2 Action Plan based on the 2023 Speed limit review;

• reviewing and overhauling our learning to drive curriculum.

Delivery of the Phase 2 Action Plan is being co-ordinated by my Department and is being led by the Road Safety Leadership Group which brings together senior leaders from across road safety stakeholders including – AGS, DOJ, RSA, TII,NTA, HSA, MBRS and Local Authorities. This group is chaired at Ministerial level by Minister Canney and is attended by the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs.

Enforcement of road traffic offences, such as speeding, is the primary responsibility of An Garda Síochána. This includes enforcement of speeding laws through the use of cameras. There are currently five average speed cameras in operation across the road network. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan of the Road Safety Strategy.

To assist An Garda Síochána in meeting these objectives, a National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy.

TII operates a dedicated Reactive Road Safety Programme for the national road network. Under this system collision data are used to identify high-collision locations across the network. Where such sites are detected, TII formally notifies the relevant Local Authority and requires the Local Authority to propose a scheme, as the road authority, to address the issues identified. TII subsequently provides funding for targeted safety improvement schemes to address the issues identified. Separately, TII has recently published the Network-Wide Road Safety Assessment (NWA). This safety rating system evaluates approximately 2500km of the national primary road network by combining both historical collision data and data from current proactive infrastructure inspections.

In addition my Department provides funding to Local Authorities each year under the Low-Cost Safety Improvement Scheme to support small-scale engineering measures that address identified road safety issues for regional and local roads. Since 2022, more than 400 locations of interest have been funded under low-cost safety schemes and local authorities continue to review and apply for funding to complete additional schemes each year. This year €14 million has been allocated, representing an increase of €1 million (approximately 8%) on 2025 allocations.

The RSA has the statutory remit for the promotion of public awareness of road safety and of measures, including the advancement of education, relating to the promotion of the safe use of roads. The Deputies may be aware that the Department is developing revised proposals for reform of the RSA while retaining the current overall structure of the Authority. Having considered the recommendations of the 2024 Indecon review of the RSA, Minister Canney and I have decided not to replace the RSA by the creation of two new entities. However, we are strongly of the view that change is still needed and that reform of the RSA remains necessary. Updated reform proposals, including consideration of using high-profile road safety ambassadors, will be informed by the findings of the Indecon review and experience over the last year. I will present these proposals to Government in the coming weeks.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on these roads are funded from councils’ own resources and supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

On 17 February I announced an Exchequer investment of €718 million in our regional and local roads across the State. This will facilitate an increase in funding allocation of €26 million this year for road protection and renewal works.

The primary focus for capital investment under the National Development Plan continues to be the protection and renewal of the regional and local road network, together with some targeted investment in road improvement projects.

As regards the total amount spent on regional and local road infrastructure in each region under the current National Development Plan for each of the years 2020-2025, details of the regional and local road allocations and payments to local authorities are outlined in the regional and local road allocations and payments booklets which are available on the Oireachtas Digital Library.

Full details of the 2026 regional and local grant allocations are available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-transport/press-releases/ministers-for-transport-announce-over-15-billion-for-national-regional-and-local-roads/.

As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals.

National roads allocations for years 2021 -2025 are available at: www.tii.ie/en/tii-library/reports-accounts/. Full details of national roads allocations for 2026 are available on the TII website: 2026-tii-la-national-roads-allocations-booklet.pdf

As Minister of State, I have responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Therefore, matters relating to the day to day operations regarding national roads, including toll roads are within the remit of TII.

Noting the above position, I have referred the question regarding tolls to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.

As queries relating to the accessibility of rail services, including advance notice requirements, are a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I have referred your question to the company for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.

As queries relating to the accessibility of rail services, including independent travel and universal design principles, are a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I have referred your question to the company for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 and 288 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. I continue to engage with all public transport operators on an ongoing basis in relation to maintaining high operational standards.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the provision of public transport infrastructure and services within the Greater Dublin Area. In the case of the DART network, the NTA fulfils this statutory remit in collaboration with Iarnród Éireann.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in this matter and the specific queries raised by the Deputy, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the NTA for a direct, detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.

Pending this more detailed response, the Deputy may wish to note investment in the East Coast Railway Infrastructure Protection Projects, or ECRIPP. ECRIPP is a suite of projects being delivered by Iarnród Éireann to provide improved coastal protection to the existing railway between Dublin and Wicklow. These projects will protect against the hazards of coastal erosion and wave overtopping and will support the continued provision of existing rail services as well as the intended rail expansion covering DART+ Coastal South and the Wicklow DART project.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 290, 291 and 292 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.

As queries relating to the accessibility of services and train stations, including pre-booked assistance, are a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I have referred your questions to the company for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Thank you for your correspondence.

Many Member States, including Ireland, are relying heavily on a rapid transition to deliver on their decarbonisation plans. Ireland’s Climate Action Plan target is to have 30% of the national vehicle fleet be electric by 2030. This is Ireland’s single biggest transport mitigation action up to 2030

The proposal on Clean Corporate Vehicles forms part of the European Commission’s Automotive Package, published on 16 December 2025. It is designed to accelerate the transition to zero and low emission corporate fleets, reduce fossil fuel expenditure in road transport and accelerate the availability of zero emission vehicles on the second-hand market.

Member States retain flexibility for the implementation pathway of the national targets. The corporate fleet sector is diverse, consisting large and small companies, ranging from traditional company car executive fleets to large shipping and freight companies, last-mile delivery fleets, leasing companies and short-term rental companies. Each of these sub-sectors have unique conditions that would make a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective.

We are considering the proposal in detail in terms of how it aligns with the overall objective of incentivising demand for EVs and any wider impacts. This includes an analysis of the number and profile of companies in scope, fleet characteristics and market conditions.

It should be noted that the measure remains at proposal stage, with negotiations underway at EU level. The Regulation will not be finalised until agreement is reached between the Council and the European Parliament, a process that is expected to run through 2026. As Ireland prepares to assume the EU Presidency in July 2026, it is committed to playing a neutral and constructive role in facilitating dialogue among member states.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to active travel. Under the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways or active travel on national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

The Government is fully committed to supporting the transition to zero-emission and the delivery of the ambitious target to have 30% of private car fleet switched to electric by 2030.

Funding and incentives for Electric Vehicles are under regular review by Departmental officials with a view to targeting exchequer funding which can deliver most effectively against Government priorities. The relative cost of EVs versus their ICE equivalents is improving year on year. My Department has in the past year reviewed a number of options for EV incentives, as set out in the Programme for Government.

Based on available data, there are around 1.1m ICE cars registered before 2015, including 650,000 diesel vehicles. As such, a global scrappage scheme of €5k for such vehicles as suggested by the Deputy would be extremely costly to the State. While targeted scrappage schemes can be effective in certain instances, any scheme of this nature would need careful consideration in terms of wider policy, operational and budgetary implications.

As Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, I wish to advise that, as of 28 February 2026, a total of current 518,104 taxed vehicles were registered on the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) database prior to 2015.

My Department remains firmly committed to accelerating Ireland’s transition to electric and sustainable transport, in line with our emissions reduction obligations and the Programme for Government.

The Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP) provides the overarching framework to 2030 for increasing active travel, shared mobility and public transport, reducing reliance on the private car, and delivering a more efficient, low-carbon transport system.

On 4 March, my Department published the SMP Action Plan 2026–2030, the second Action Plan to have been developed under the SMP. This new Plan strengthens the Government’s commitment to delivering high-quality alternatives to the private car. It supports major public transport infrastructure projects such as MetroLink, BusConnects, DART+ and the reinstatement of Athenry-Claremorris section of the Western Rail Corridor, as well as expanded active travel infrastructure, the Safe Routes to School programme, Park and Ride delivery, bus and rail fleet electrification, and improved accessibility across the transport network.

In addition, last year my Department published the ‘National Policy Statement on Shared Mobility and the Provision of Hubs’. This Statement aims to bring greater coherence to the development of shared mobility services and hubs, providing new and more sustainable alternatives to the private car. The NTA is working on two key initiatives –

• a Mobility Hubs Pilot Programme, which will deliver a dense network of hubs to be rolled out across five locations - Cork City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Carlow, Dundalk and Sligo – encompassing shared escooters, ebikes and shared EVs; and

• the expansion of public bikes schemes in the regional cities to provide more options over a wider area including a greater proliferation of ebikes.

To further strengthen this Government’s commitment to decarbonising transport, a new strategy Moving Together: A Collaborative Approach to Systems Change in Transport 2026–2030 was also published on 4 March. The aim of this strategy is to encourage collaboration and to find innovative ways for better managing transport demand and congestion, while supporting and reinforcing the objectives of the SMP. It focuses on the generation of demand from private traffic and freight movements and consists of broad-ranging recommendations for achieving greater efficiency across all sectors including actions in support of a transition to EVs.

The new draft National EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy 2026-2028, published on the 26th February, aims to accelerate the delivery of EV infrastructure across Ireland. It includes a comprehensive plan to expand and future-proof the national EV charging network, ensuring that charging infrastructure continues to keep pace with the growing demand for electric vehicles.

The strategy focuses on delivering accessible, reliable, and comprehensive charging infrastructure through to 2028, supporting Ireland's transition to cleaner transport and aligning with national and EU climate goals.

Last year, the Government met the 2025 target of 195000 EVs on Irish roads in September, and there are currently over 219,000 EVs on Irish roads.

Over €120m has been allocated in 2026 to support the transition to zero-emission and the delivery of the ambitious target to have 30% of private car fleet switched to electric by 2030, which includes funding for EV grants and EV charging infrastructure. This underpins the Government's commitment to making electric vehicles accessible to all.

Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles. The public charging network has grown in recent years, and the continuing expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network will ensure drivers can use their EVs with confidence and certainty.

TII are leading on the delivery of charging infrastructure along our motorways and national primary and secondary routes and we have launched grant aid programmes for the delivery of significant high powered charging infrastructure on these roads over the next year, to provide all EV drivers with reliable access to charging points across the country.

In addition, the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan describes how Local Authorities will facilitate the provision of local charging networks that will meet user needs.

Ireland also maintains a generous range of incentives to support drivers’ transition to electric, including a purchase grant for battery electric vehicles; a home charger purchase grant; VRT relief of up to €5,000; and a low rate of annual motor tax.

The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle (EV) charging network over the coming years.

To date, almost all EV charging infrastructure delivered in Ireland delivered has been done so on a commercial basis, with little government subvention. This is anticipated to change in 2026, with a significant step up in delivery of government-procured EV infrastructure, with national road EV infrastructure, sports club EV infrastructure and a number of Local Authority pilots all to be delivered this year.

It is estimated that there are approximately 1,500 publicly available charging pools (locations with more than one charging station), with approximately 130Kw of power available. The Department of Transport does not currently track exact numbers of publicly accessible EV charging stations. A number of commercial apps are available to provide this data to the public. However, ZEVI, an office of the Department of Transport, is developing a Data Strategy and associated data platforms that will, once in place, enhance the Department’s ability to monitor this infrastructure and facilitate the provision of comprehensive and accurate information on EV charging infrastructure to the public. This Strategy is being finalised following consultation and will be published shortly.

The system will enable the collection of data from charge-points in near real time and provide it on an Open Data basis. The obligation on charge-point operators and owners to share this data is legislated for in the EU Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).

In order to achieve Ireland’s EU targets under AFIR, it is expected that there will be 3,200 – 6,210 public chargers required nationally by 2030, depending on the level of power supplied at each. AFIR requirements state that there should be 1.3kW of capacity on the national network per BEV and 0.8kW capacity per PHEV.

ZEVI published for consultation a refreshed National EV Infrastructure Strategy in February that sets out the next phase of Ireland’s EV charging infrastructure rollout. This updated strategy will build on the progress of recent years under the 2022-25 National EV Infrastructure Charging Strategy and ensure charging infrastructure keeps pace with the rapidly growing level of EV adoption in Ireland.

As Minister of State with responsibility for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that the provision of motor insurance cover and the conditions under which it is offered is a commercial matter for insurance companies.

As my Department has no role in the regulation of the insurance industry, the Deputy may wish to bring his query to the direct attention of the Central Bank.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.

As queries relating to the accessibility of rail services, including advance notice requirements, are a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I have referred your question to the company for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

From a policy perspective, the Government launched the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People (NHRSDP) on 03 September 2025. The NHRSDP is the framework to bring about a transformative step-change in how all parts of Government approach their work when it comes to disability. The NHRSDP also reinforces the responsibility of all Government Departments and Agencies to perform their functions in ways that are aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and existing disability policies and strategies, for example the Autism Innovation Strategy.

Pillar 5 of the NHRSDP, 'Transport and Mobility', contains a number of priority transport actions which were developed with representatives of the disability community. In line with the agreed NHRSDP structures, these priority actions are the primary focus for all NHRSDP stakeholders this year. My Department will be monitoring this via formalised channels, under the auspices of the cross-Departmental/agency Pillar 5 Monitoring Group.

Deputy,

My Department has made no disclosure under Revenue's recent disclosure opportunity to regularise misclassification of self-employment.

As this question also relates to agencies under the remit of the Department of Transport, I have referred the question to these agencies to reply to you directly. If the Deputy does not receive a response within ten working days, please contact my Private Office.

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.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from councils' own resources, which are supplemented by State grants for regional and local roads. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

On 17 February I announced an Exchequer investment of €718 million in our regional and local roads across the State. This will facilitate an increase in funding allocation of €26 million this year for road protection and renewal works.

In 2026, Clare County Council has been allocated a total of €31,788,700. Of this, €26,628,700 has been allocated for the protection and renewal of Clare's regional and local roads. This is an increase from the initial 2025 allocation of €25,779,500 for protection and renewal grants.

Clare County Council is responsible for deciding its annual programme for road maintenance and the Department has no role in that process.

Included in Clare County Council's grant allocation for regional and local roads this year is funding of €25,000 under the Safety Improvement Works Grant Programme for a scheme on the R460 at Lough Bunny Cross Tubber.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 305 and 351 together.

The current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 and a great deal of work is currently underway to deliver on the targets set out in this Strategy.

I published the Phase 2 Road Safety Action Plan in July 2025. This phase of the Road Safety Strategy identifies 12 primary actions that are transformative in nature, and which are themed across the overarching, internationally recognised safe systems approach. These 12 actions are supported by a suite of a further 77 support actions which are also being implemented in partnership with road safety stakeholders.

Some of the key actions in the Phase 2 Action Plan include:

• Expanding network safety analysis of the road network to identify high-risk locations, guide investment decisions and prioritise safety interventions including for the local road network.

• Expanding the use of Safety Cameras

• Continued implementation of the 2023 Speed limit review.

• Reviewing and overhauling our learning to drive curriculum

We are progressing a significant legislative programme. The National Vehicle and Driver File Bill is targeted for enactment by the summer and will, among other measures, restore direct collision data sharing with local authorities. The next Road Traffic Bill is also under development to advance Programme for Government commitments around graduated speeding penalties and the camera enforcement of mobile phone and seatbelt offences.

Safe Speeds are another important part of the Safe Systems approach. We have implemented in full Phase 1 of the Speed Limit Review reducing the default speed limit on rural local roads from 80km/h to 60km/h. Phase 2 in relation to reducing speed limits from 50km/h to 30km/h in urban/bult up areas is now underway. The introduction of 30km/h speed limits where appropriate will contribute to a safer urban environment for all road users.

A first National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed and I expect to publish it shortly. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future.

In the coming weeks, we will also be introducing regulations to fully ban scramblers from use in public places and enhance Garda powers of seizure. These regulations are being made in memory of Grace Lynch and the scrambler ban will be known as Grace’s Law.

Protecting vulnerable road users is a key priority for this government. Safe and Healthy Modes of Travel is one of the seven Safe Systems pillars that underpin the Strategy, and Primary Action 1 of the current Action Plan will see the National Transport Authority invest significantly in improved infrastructure for pedestrians and other active travellers in the coming years. Supporting this action, Budget 2026 has made €360m available for such investment over the next year.

This year we are investing over €1.5billion in our roads. In addition through schemes like the Low-Cost Safety Improvement Scheme and the Reactive Road Safety Programme my Department and TII are supporting local authorities to address identified road safety issues across the roads network.

There has been a significant increase in spending on public awareness, communications and education campaigns by the RSA. In 2026 the RSA has again ringfenced funding of €18 million for awareness, education and promotional campaigns. This will ensure a continued focus on campaigns that make our roads safer for all road users, including pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

It is the policy of both the Government and the RSA to recommend the use of high-visibility vests and armbands by vulnerable road users. To support this, the RSA has been running the ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ campaign for over a decade to support road safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.

As part of this campaign, the RSA each year distributes thousands of free high-visibility safety items including - high-vis jackets, high vis vests, high vis armbands, drawstring bags, rucksack covers and running bibs.

The Government continues to support this campaign and I would encourage all vulnerable road users to ensure that they are as safe as possible on our roads and to avail of these free high visibility safety materials.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.

As queries relating to rail service, and accessibility requests, are a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I have referred your question to the company for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

As queries relating to the Free Travel Scheme come under the remit of the Minister for Social Protection, you may wish to pursue that query with my colleague Dara Calleary, Minister for Social protection.

As Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, I wish to advise that the information available to me is the number of Fixed Charge Notices (FCNs) notified to the Department from An Garda Siochana between October 2025 and March 2026 for the offence pertaining to non-compliant number plates. A total of 12 notifications have been received in this period. The Department has not been notified of any associated court offences during this period.

It is the policy of the Department of Transport to apply Statistical Disclosure Control (SDC) methods to any data to be published, this can be viewed in the document (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-transport/policy-information/motor-tax-and-vehicle-ownership-nvdf). Given the small numbers involved, the breakdown by county requested is subject to our SDC rules and therefore cannot be provided. The Department does not hold information at Garda district level.

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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.

In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of their regional and local roads. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State grants.

Where a fatal road traffic collision occurs, the relevant local authority engineer and investigating member of An Garda Síochána meet at the site of the collision and jointly complete a collision report form named LA16. This is an action of the Road Safety Strategy 2021 - 2030.

The completed LA16 form, outlines the details of the collision, weather conditions and road conditions including signage, road markings, speed limit, roadside environment and classification of the road etc. These forms are submitted to the Roads Management Office who maintain the dataset.

My Department also funds a Network Safety Analysis of the Regional and Local Road Network across the entire country. Using available collision datasets high collision locations are identified and Locations of Interest (LoIs) reports are produced.

These LoI reports are then issued to the relevant local authority and form the basis for application for funding under the Safety Improvement Schemes Grant. In 2026 my Department allocated €14 million in Safety Improvement Schemes Grant to the sector which is funding over 330 safety schemes nationally which is an 8% increase over the 2025 allocation.

Collision data are collected by members of An Garda Síochána at the scene of road traffic accidents. These data were previously shared with local authorities, via the Road Safety Authority, to enable them to identify locations of interest (accident blackspots) that would benefit from safety improvements. Due to the presence of personal information in the data, legal advice related to GDPR has meant that local authorities stopped receipt of collision data since November 2023. As well as sharing of the data, the local authorities have identified an issue with the legal basis to process the data, once received. The National Vehicle and Driver File Bill 2025 will, once enacted, provide a legal basis for local authorities to receive and process the collision data.

As an interim measure, the Department of Transport has been undertaking detailed collision analysis on the regional and local road network to identify locations of interest. When locations of interest are identified, the Department notifies the affected local authority. In turn, local authorities can apply for funding of low-cost safety schemes for these locations of interest.

The General Scheme of the National Vehicle and Driver File Bill 2025 has been approved by Government and is with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for drafting. The passage of this Bill is a Programme for Government commitment and will amend the Roads Act 1993 to provide a basis for the resumption of direct sharing of road traffic collision data with local authorities. The Bill will be published in the coming weeks with enactment targeted for the first half of 2026.

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV sector.

FreeNow commission rates are private consumer to business contract fees and are not governed by the Maximum Fare Order established by the NTA. SPSV operators are self-employed and may decide to sign-up, or not, with a licensed dispatch operator, such as FreeNow. They are not obliged by my Department or the NTA to be affiliated with any dispatch operator but where they choose to do so, they are free to contract with a dispatch operator of their choice. They also decide on their own hours of work within the SPSV regulatory framework.

It may be of interest to the Deputy that the NTA has published a Call for Inputs consultation on the dispatch operator licensing framework. A sustainable taxi sector is an important element of Ireland’s transport system, and I encourage all stakeholders to take the opportunity to feed into this important piece of work, as this input will inform the NTA's process and decision-making in revising the current dispatch operator framework. The closing date for the receipt of submissions is 17th April next. The public consultation can be viewed here: www.consult.nationaltransport.ie/en/content/call-inputs-dispatch-operators.

Given the NTA's responsibility in regulating dispatch operators, I have referred your question to the NTA for further information. Please advise my private office if you have not received a reply within 10 working days.

The current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. The Ministerial Committee on Road Safety met five times in 2024, on 25 January, 27 March, 2 May, 12 June, and 11 September and once in 2025 on 16 April. The Phase 2 Action Plan 2025–2027 under the Strategy was published in July 2025.

The implementation of the Phase 2 Action Plan is overseen at Ministerial level by a new Road Safety Leadership Group. This Group is chaired by Minister Canney who is responsible for Road Safety and is attended by the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs. This Group also comprises senior officials from all key road safety partners including An Garda Síochána, the Road Safety Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, National Transport Authority, the Courts Service, MBRS, HSA and the Local Authorities. This Group has held two meetings to date, on 5 November 2025 and 17 February 2026. The next meeting is scheduled to be held in April.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 314, 315 and 316 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.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Dublin Bus. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Within the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042, the National Transport Authority outlines how the transport system will be developed to meet the needs of a growing population while also halving emissions across the region - covering Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare - by 2030. As well as significant investment in active, shared and public transport infrastructure and services, the Strategy highlights that a key lever for reducing emissions as well as congestion will be a demand management scheme for the GDA. The new Moving Together strategy, which I published earlier this month, provides the impetus for bringing forward such a scheme.

I have referred the Deputy’s question to the NTA for a more detailed reply on the scheme and its timeline. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area.

Investment in active travel has delivered approximately 1,100km of new walking and cycling infrastructure since 2020, as well as hundreds of junction upgrades and new pedestrian crossings. In 2025 alone, investment resulted in nearly 100km of new walking infrastructure, 70km of cycling infrastructure, 222 new pedestrian crossings, over 300 junction upgrades and 2 active travel bridges.

In terms of modal shift, there are several sources of data for the number of people cycling and walking rather than taking a car or public transport; however these data sources mainly measure transport mode share rather than changing transport habits which would demonstrate modal shift from car or public transport use to active travel modes and the impact that improvements in active travel investment are having on modal shift.

The primary source of national data available is through the National Household Travel Survey which was previously carried out by the NTA every four years, but moved to an annual basis since 2022. This Survey provides a comprehensive picture of daily travel habits of Irish residents. Latest figures from the 2024 NHTS shows that walking and cycling have a 20% mode share, compared to 74% for driving

Other data sources look at more specific areas, such as the Walking and Cycling Index (WACI). This is an independent survey based on local walking and cycling data and modelling and is the largest assessment of walking and cycling in Ireland's five cities. The WACI is produced every 2 years by the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust in partnership with the NTA. The first report was carried out in Dublin only in 2021, and was widened to include Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford in 2023. The 2025 reports were published by the NTA earlier this month and are available online. There is detailed information on active travel participation and perception contained within the reports; a key finding is that walking, wheeling and cycling removed up to 660,000 car trips from the roads each day across the five metropolitan areas.

Lastly, the NTA's annual Canal Cordon report is an annual study tracking how people commute into Dublin city centre. The following table outlines the results of this study for the years 2018-2023 inclusive by active travel, bus and car; other modes including taxi, goods vehicles, motorbike are not included below:

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.

The Department acknowledges the important role commercial operators play in responding to the demands of the sector and the vital service they deliver to their customers. The Department will continue to engage closely with commercial operators and representative groups, such as the Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland (CTTC), to understand the ongoing and evolving needs of the sector.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators, including the licensing of commercial bus services.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the development of public transport infrastructure, including ticketing and technology projects.

The NTA's Next Generation Ticketing project will provide a transformative upgrade to the ticketing system for public transport passengers in Ireland. The project will facilitate a variety of payment methods on public transport services, involving a next-generation 'Account Based Ticketing' scheme incorporating both mobile and card-based payments for passengers.

Following a competitive procurement process, in April 2024 the NTA awarded an overall framework contract for the design, supply, installation and operation of a new multi-modal ticketing system to Spanish information technology company Indra Sistemas. Indra has designed, installed and operated similar systems internationally.

The Programme for Government commits to rolling out contactless fare payments on all public transport and to keeping fares low and affordable. Contactless fare payments, or Next Generation Ticketing, will be introduced initially as part of BusConnects Dublin, before being delivered nationwide, including on Bus Éireann services.

The initial focus of the project is on the Greater Dublin Area, rolled out across four phases. Phase 1 is due to launch in Summer 2027 which will test contactless payment on new validators or ticket machines.

I understand that Phase 2 will be ready in Summer 2028, allowing passengers on Dublin's bus and Luas services to use this new ticketing technology, including contactless payments on validators. Plans for later phases are under development.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, 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 working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.

As queries relating to the Accessibility at train stations are a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I have referred your question to the company for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I can assure you that my Department is actively progressing the legislative proposals required to deliver on the Government’s commitment to establish a Transport Security Force and is working closely with the National Transport Authority (NTA) in this regard.

The Programme for Government sets out a clear commitment: that a Transport Security Force will operate under the NTA with powers similar to those held by Airport Police and Customs Officers.

The ongoing work to establish it involves careful and informed consideration of the most appropriate model for the Force, with all key stakeholders fully engaged – the NTA, operators, trade unions, passenger groups, An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice. Since assuming office, I have met with these stakeholders as a collective twice and continue to meet them bilaterally on this important matter. In addition the stakeholders also have ongoing engagement through their attendance at the Public Transport Safety Working Group, which is chaired by my Department, with the most recent meeting held on the 11th of February 2026.

My Department and the NTA are actively progressing the legislative proposals required to deliver on the Government’s commitment to establish a Transport Security Force, and the introduction of this Force will require the development of primary legislation, which can have a significant lead time, but it will be expedited, with a view to making progress on its foundations during 2026.

Antisocial behaviour on public transport remains a serious concern. It is those who use and work within the network who are most directly affected, and the establishment of the Transport Security Force will be key in addressing this issue, and this is a Government priority.

I fully support all the ongoing positive work to progress towards creating a safer public transport network for staff and passengers. In the meantime, we are committed to delivering a safe and secure public transport system, and we will maintain momentum on all fronts until the Transport Security Force is in place.

The security of the systems that support Ireland's public transport network is a priority for my Department. Responsibilities for cyber security are clearly assigned and are delivered in conjunction with relevant national bodies and specialist security partners, ensuring alignment with recognised industry frameworks and Government guidance.

My officials engage regularly with the bodies responsible for delivering public transport services under the aegis of the Department to assure their continued alignment with these frameworks and obligations. These bodies will also fall within scope of forthcoming cybersecurity requirements arising from the transposition of the EU NIS2 Directive into Irish law.

The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network over the coming years. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles.

While over 80% of charging is expected to happen at home, there is a vital need for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible.

The Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan, published in 2025, provides a pathway for the accelerated delivery of public destination and neighbourhood charging and will be led by Local Authorities who are developing local and regional EV charging network strategies and implementation plans.

This process will identify the number of charge points required in each area, including on-street chargers to serve residents without access to private off-street parking. While strategies are being finalised, ZEVI is funding pilot infrastructure projects in a number of Local Authorities, so as not to delay rollout and to provide charging infrastructure at locations that meet multiple user needs for Local Authority owned sites.

Local Authority Climate Action Charter ensures every local authority embeds decarbonisation, sustainable development and climate resilience into every aspect of the work they do. Local Authorities develop climate action roadmaps and report on progress to the Climate Action Regional Offices.

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), includes requirements for EV recharging points at public buildings such as

1. New non-residential buildings with more than five car parking spaces and non-residential buildings undergoing major renovation, with more than five car parking spaces, Member States shall ensure:

(a) the installation of at least one recharging point for every five car parking spaces; (b) the installation of pre-cabling for at least 50 % of car parking spaces and ducting, namely conduits for electric cables, for the remaining car parking spaces, to enable the installation at a later stage of recharging points for electric vehicles, electrically power-assisted cycles and other L-category vehicle types

2. All non-residential buildings with more than 20 car parking spaces, Member States shall, by 1 January 2027, ensure:

(a) the installation of at least one recharging point for every 10 car parking spaces, or of ducting, namely conduits for electric cables, for at least 50 % of the car parking spaces to enable the installation at a later stage of recharging points for electric vehicles.

For buildings owned or occupied by public bodies, Member States shall ensure the installation of pre-cabling for at least 50 % of car parking spaces by 1 January 2033.

The transposition of this directive is led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the publicly accessible EV charging network over the coming years. The infrastructure for EV charging in public spaces is crucial for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

While over 80% of charging is expected to happen at home, there is a vital need for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible.

The National EV Infrastructure Strategy sets out the Government's ambitions and plans for EV infrastructure delivery over the period 2026-2028 and is open for public consultation. Alongside the National Strategy, the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan, published in 2025, provides a pathway for the accelerated delivery of public destination and neighbourhood charging and will be led by Local Authorities who are developing local and regional EV charging network strategies and implementation plans.

In addition to these plans which will provide publicly accessible charging in locations across the country, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), Article 14, includes requirements for EV recharging points at public buildings, specifically.

For buildings owned or occupied by public bodies, Member States shall ensure the installation of pre-cabling for at least 50 % of car parking spaces by 1 January 2033.

It should be noted that responsibility for the transition of this Directive held by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 326 and 328 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, daa has statutory responsibility to operate, manage and develop Dublin and Cork Airports. As such, matters in relation to airport accessibility are a matter for daa. I have therefore forwarded your question to daa for direct reply.

If the Deputy does not receive a response within ten working days, please advise my Private Office.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Shannon Airport Group has statutory responsibility to operate and manage Shannon Airport. As such, matters in relation to airport accessibility are a matter for the Group and I have therefore forwarded your question to the Shannon Airport Group for direct reply.

If the Deputy does not receive a reply within ten working days, please advise my Private Office.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 329, 330 and 331 together.

Regulation (EC) 1107 of 2006 protects the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. It ensures equal access to air travel for such persons and requires airports and air carriers to provide them with free assistance.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) carries out annual inspections of the six commercial airports in Ireland, including Dublin, Cork and Shannon, as part of its remit as the National Enforcement Body for Regulation 1107 in Ireland.

The inspection reports are published on the IAA website and can be viewed at: www.iaa.ie/consumer-protection/persons-with-reduced-mobility/airport-accessibility-compliance-reports.

The most recently published reports cover inspections carried out in 2024, which were published in April 2025. The IAA are working to complete the 2025 reports, which will be published shortly.

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including the SPSV Driver Entry Test, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV sector.

Accordingly, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you have not received a reply within 10 working days.

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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators. As Minister for Transport I continue to engage with the NTA on an ongoing basis in relation to maintaining high operational standards on all forms of public transport.

In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

I wish to advise that a person who is resident in Ireland must have an Irish or EU driving licence to drive here.

Driving licences issued by EU member states are mutually recognised and a holder of a member state-issued licence who moves to Ireland can drive on that licence until it expires. On expiry, the licence holder will then need to exchange their licence for an Irish licence where Ireland is their primary place of residence.

Until 2020, the UK was an EU member state and UK driving licences were recognised in Ireland as EU licences. Following the UK's withdrawal from the EU, Ireland and the UK entered into a licence exchange agreement and a UK driving licence can be exchanged for an equivalent category Irish licence and vice versa. However, if there is no equivalent category, that particular category will not be transferable.

In addition, a UK licence category will not be exchanged in Ireland where the licence category originated from a third country whose licences are not accepted for exchange in Ireland.

The following UK driving licence national codes do not have an equivalent in Ireland and are thus, not transferable to an Irish licence.

Category D1 and D1E Licence with Code 1 or Code 101 (not for hire or reward)

The UK minibus (D1) and bus with trailer attached (D1E) categories with Code 1 or Code 101, indicating not for hire or reward, are not transferable when exchanged for an Irish licence, as these are national categories and are only valid for driving in the UK.

However, holders of UK category D1 and D1E driving licences without these codes may retain these categories when exchanging their UK licence.

Category EC1 Licence with Code 107

The light articulated truck (EC1) category with Code 107 is granted in the UK and is not transferable as there is no equivalent category in Ireland.

Category EC Licence with Code 102

The articulated truck (EC) category with Code 102 is granted in the UK and is not transferable as there is not equivalent category in Ireland.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from councils' own resources, which are supplemented by State grants for regional and local roads. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

On 17 February I announced an Exchequer investment of €718 million in our regional and local roads across the State. This will facilitate an increase in funding allocation of €26 million this year for road protection and renewal works.

As well as providing grant support to local authorities, my Department has supported the development of a Road Asset Management System for regional and local roads. The Road Management Office, which has been established as a shared service between 31 local authorities, together with my Department, has been working with local authorities to ensure that this road pavement management system includes a record of all pavement-related works and information on road surfaces and pavement condition.

The objective of the MapRoad pavement management system is to provide the data needed for evidence-based prioritisation and management of road work programmes by each road authority.

My Department has also produced a Pavement Survey Standard for regional and local roads for use in respect of road pavement management by local authorities. This standard requires local authorities to carry out a Pavement Survey Condition Index (PSCI) visual survey on regional, local primary and local secondary roads every two years and every five years for local tertiary roads.

The condition of the regional and local road network is recorded under the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) indicator R1 and is available to view on the NOAC website www.noac.ie.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 338 together.

As Minister of Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail network and stations on the network, including any proposed works at train stations and the carriages provided on the Dublin to Rosslare rail line, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance.

In view of Iarnród Éireann's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

Pending this more detailed response, I note that the DART+ Fleet project provides a ten-year procurement framework for new electric and battery-electric fleet. To date, three fleet orders have been placed comprising both battery-electric and electric carriages, bringing the total number of DART carriages ordered to 285, made up of 57 five-carriage trains.

It is intended that the first new battery-electric sets will initially be deployed on the Northern Commuter Line serving Dublin to/from Drogheda from 2027, while trains from the second order will allow commencement of DART services to Wicklow around 2029 and trains from the third order will replace the original DART fleet from 1984.

Across the wider rail network, deployment of the first and second orders will free up Intercity and Commuter trains for use on other train routes, providing a capacity boost. The location of where the redeployed fleet will be used will be determined by Iarnród Éireann in consultation with the NTA.

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 Minister, I continue to engage with all public transport operators on an ongoing basis in relation to maintaining high operational standards.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) is leading the development and rollout of strategic park and ride sites nation-wide through the Park and Ride Development Office (PRDO).

The Programme for Government commits to working with local authorities and relevant agencies to develop affordable Park and Ride facilities on the outskirts of major towns and cities. The PRDO, which was established by the NTA in February 2020, is leading the delivery of this commitment. The PRDO works to advance the delivery of strategic Park & Ride sites in collaboration with Local Authorities and transport agencies across all regions of the State, providing full time specialist resources on these projects.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct, detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply.

In relation to the specific roads mentioned by the Deputy, it is the responsibility for the Roads Authority, namely Wexford County Council, to maintain the cycle lanes.

I can confirm that no official meetings took place between the Construction Industry Federation and either myself as Minister for Transport, or with officials within my Department during 2025, however it is possible that meetings took place between my Department or agencies under its aegis and with organisations which are members of the CIF as contained within the organisation's broader member roll.

I am however aware that my colleague Minister of State Canney met with the Construction Industry Federation in his own capacity in 2025 and that those meetings may have included officials from my Department. These meetings took place in Q1 and Q3 2025 and concerned barriers impacting construction and an Update on Reform of Public Procurement in Ireland.

I am keenly aware of the growing commercial pressures faced by the haulage industry. I spoke with the President of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), Mr. Ger Hyland on Monday 09 March. A further in-person meeting has been scheduled for Thursday 19 March between myself, Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports Sean Canney, representatives from the IRHA and officials from my Department. In the interim, officials in my Department have been in ongoing communication with the IRHA concerning the recent rises in fuel prices and fuel supply concerns. My Department continues to closely monitor the situation.

Enforcement of road traffic offences, such as speeding, is the primary responsibility of An Garda Síochána. This includes enforcement of speeding laws through the use of cameras.

There are currently 5 average speed cameras in operation across the road network. These are located in the following locations -

• Dublin Port Tunnel

• M7

• N3 Cavan

• N5 Mayo

• N2 Meath

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras across the road network to encourage safer driving. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan, as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy.

To assist An Garda Síochána in meeting these objectives, a National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy.

It should also be noted that camera enforcement has been increasing. There are now 9,000 hours of GoSafe monitoring carried out on our roads each month and since late 2024, An Garda Síochána with the assistance of TII and local authorities installed three additional average speed camera zones and nine static camera locations.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals.

I understand from TII that TII does not rank roads against each other, but instead operates a dedicated Reactive Road Safety Programme for the national road network. Under this system—set out in TII standard GE-STY-01022 (“Network Safety Ranking and Prioritisation – Reactive Approach”) collision data is used to identify high-collision locations (1km sections) across the network.

Where such sites are detected, TII formally notifies the relevant Local Authority and requires the Local Authority to propose a scheme, as the road authority, to address the issues identified. TII subsequently provides funding for targeted safety improvement schemes to address the issues identified. This process is detailed in GE-STY-01036 (“Road Safety Improvement Schemes”). On average €26 million is allocated to this programme each year.

For more information on the Reactive Road Safety System please see this website: cdn.tii.ie/publications/GE-STY-01022-03.pdf and for more information on the Improvement Scheme process, please see this website: cdn.tii.ie/publications/GE-STY-01036-01.pdf

Separately, TII has recently published the Network-Wide Road Safety Assessment (NWA). This safety rating system evaluates approximately 2500km of the national primary road network by combining both historical collision data and data from current proactive infrastructure inspections. The website can be viewed here: tii-nwa-2024-map-national-primary-roads.pdf

In respect of the regional and local road network, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of their regional and local roads. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State grants.

Where a fatal road traffic collision occurs, the relevant local authority engineer and investigating member of An Garda Síochána meet at the site of the collision and jointly complete a collision report form named LA16. This is an action of the Road Safety Strategy 2021 - 2030.

The completed LA16 form, outlines the details of the collision, weather conditions and road conditions including signage, road markings, speed limit, roadside environment and classification of the road etc. These forms are submitted to the Roads Management Office who maintain the dataset.

My Department also funds a Network Safety Analysis of the Regional and Local Road Network across the entire country. Using available collision datasets high collision locations are identified and Locations of Interest (LoIs) reports are produced.

These LoI reports are then issued to the relevant local authority and form the basis for application for funding under the Safety Improvement Schemes Grant. In 2026 my Department allocated €14 million in Safety Improvement Schemes Grant to the sector which is funding over 330 safety schemes nationally which is an 8% increase over the 2025 allocation.

Following the publication of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in July 2024, my Department, with the support of the European Investment Bank and in conjunction with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, oversaw the preparation of the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy. This Strategy was published in December 2025 and outlines the approach to sequencing and optimising the recommendations of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review in the coming years.

In the short-term to 2030, the Prioritisation Strategy specifies a number of 'Early Interventions' to be delivered in the coming years, including new track passing loops and platforms to boost the rail network’s resilience and capacity. These investments are funded to be fully delivered by 2030 under the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, published in November 2025.

The Prioritisation Strategy also identifies 'Major Projects' with longer lead-in and development timelines. These projects are generally targeted to secure the necessary approvals within the next five years such that construction works could commence thereafter. Among these Major Projects, capacity and frequency enhancements, line speed improvements and electrification are planned on the Waterford line.

The Prioritisation Strategy has a 20-year time horizon, which does not cover the entire period to 2050 envisaged by the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. Projects not included in the Prioritisation Strategy, including the reinstatement of the line between Waterford and Wexford, are intended to be progressed in the longer-run.

It should be noted that individual programmes and projects referred to within the All-Island Strategic Rail Review and the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy will be advanced subject to funding and relevant approvals, as required under the Infrastructure Guidelines.

I wish to advise that my Department maintains the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) database, which is the State’s record of all Irish licensed drivers. The Department’s role is to manage the database, including of penalty points and disqualifications on driver records based on information on offences provided from the Courts Service and An Garda Síochána.

A report published by the Department in December 2025 outlines the processes involved and provides detailed statistics for 2024. This report is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-transport/publications/recording-of-penalty-points-and-disqualifications-on-driver-records/. A similar report will be shortly published, to provide the same statistics for 2025 once available.

The primary purpose of the Road Safety Leadership Group, and its predecessor the Ministerial Committee on Road Safety, is to review progress and drive delivery of the actions in the Government Road Safety Strategy. While capturing of driver numbers is an important road safety issue, it is an operational matter and it is for the most part addressed directly between the Department, Road Safety Authority, the Courts Services and An Garda Síochána.

To reduce road deaths, in 1998 implementation began on the first national Road Safety Strategy. Over the course of that Strategy and its successors, we witnessed a significant improvement in safety on our roads. From 472 in 1997 that figure reduced to 133 by 2021. Unfortunately, more recent trends are less positive and I share the Deputy's concern and disappointment that the number of deaths on our roads has increased in recent years.

The current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 and a great deal of work is currently underway to deliver on the targets set out in this Strategy.

The Phase 2 Action Plan under the Road Safety Strategy which will run to December 2027 contains 12 primary and 77 supporting actions, with the potential to deliver real transformative change. These actions are grounded in the internationally recognised Safe Systems approach and will be delivered through partnership and collaborative working by road safety stakeholders. Some of the key actions include –

• investing significantly into new and improved active travel and public transport;

• expanding the use of safety cameras;

• expanding network safety analysis of the road network to identify high-risk locations, guide investment decisions and prioritise safety interventions including for the local road network;

• implementing in full all actions in the Phase 2 Action Plan based on the 2023 Speed limit review;

• reviewing and overhauling our learning to drive curriculum.

Delivery of the Phase 2 Action Plan is being co-ordinated by my Department and is being led by the Road Safety Leadership Group which brings together senior leaders from across road safety stakeholders including – AGS, DOJ, RSA, TII,NTA, HSA, MBRS and Local Authorities. This group is chaired at Ministerial level by Minister Canney and is attended by the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs.

Progress is being made. In February 2025, the first implementation phase of the speed limit review was introduced, which saw the default speed limit on rural and local roads reduced from 80km/h to 60km/h. Local authorities are now working on implement lower speed limits, where appropriate, of 30km/h in cities and towns and have been directed to conclude this process by 31 March 2027.

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras to encourage safer driving and the increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan. The first National Safety Camera Strategy is expected to be published shortly.

My Department provides funding to Local Authorities each year under the Low-Cost Safety Improvement Scheme to support small-scale engineering measures that address identified road safety issues. This year €14 million has been allocated, representing an increase of €1 million (approximately 8%) on 2025 allocations. In 2026, the Government has committed to provide over €1.5 billion in exchequer funding for national, regional and local roads. This represents a 13% increase in overall road funding when compared to 2025.

We are also progressing a significant legislative programme. The National Vehicle and Driver File Bill is targeted for enactment by the summer and will, among other measures, restore direct collision data sharing with local authorities. The next Road Traffic Bill is also under development to advance Programme for Government commitments around graduated speeding penalties and the camera enforcement of mobile phone and seatbelt offences.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 350 together.

The current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 and a great deal of work is currently underway to deliver on the targets set out in this Strategy.

I published the Phase 2 Road Safety Action Plan in July 2025. This phase of the Road Safety Strategy identifies 12 primary actions that are transformative in nature, and which are themed across the overarching, internationally recognised safe systems approach. These 12 actions are supported by a suite of a further 77 support actions which are also being implemented in partnership with road safety stakeholders.

Some of the key actions in the Phase 2 Action Plan include:

• Expanding network safety analysis of the road network to identify high-risk locations, guide investment decisions and prioritise safety interventions including for the local road network.

• Expanding the use of Safety Cameras

• Continued implementation of the 2023 Speed limit review.

• Reviewing and overhauling our learning to drive curriculum

We are progressing a significant legislative programme. The National Vehicle and Driver File Bill is targeted for enactment by the summer and will, among other measures, restore direct collision data sharing with local authorities. The next Road Traffic Bill is also under development to advance Programme for Government commitments around graduated speeding penalties and the camera enforcement of mobile phone and seatbelt offences.

We have implemented in full Phase 1 of the Speed Limit Review reducing the default speed limit on rural local roads from 80km/h to 60km/h. Phase 2 in relation to reducing speed limits from 50km/h to 30km/h in urban/bult up areas is now underway. The introduction of 30km/h speed limits where appropriate will contribute to a safer urban environment for all road users.

The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan. A first National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed and I expect to publish it shortly. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future.

In the coming weeks, we will also be introducing regulations to fully ban scramblers from use in public places and enhance Garda powers of seizure. These regulations are being made in memory of Grace Lynch and the scrambler ban will be known as Grace’s Law.

Protecting vulnerable road users is a key priority. Safe and Healthy Modes of Travel is one of the seven Safe Systems pillars that underpin the Strategy, and Primary Action 1 of the current Action Plan will see the National Transport Authority invest significantly in improved infrastructure for pedestrians and other active travellers in the coming years. Supporting this action, Budget 2026 has made €360m available for such investment over the next year.

This year we are investing over €1.5billion in our roads. In addition through schemes like the Low-Cost Safety Improvement Scheme under which €14m in funding is available to local authorities for 2026 and the Reactive Road Safety Programme my Department and TII are supporting local authorities to address identified road safety issues across the roads network.

There has been a significant increase in spending on public awareness, communications and education campaigns by the RSA. In 2026 the RSA has again ringfenced funding of €18 million for awareness, education and promotional campaigns. This will ensure a continued focus on campaigns that make our roads safer for all road users, including and especially vulnerable road users.

In line with other public bodies the RSA is subject to the Code of Practice on the Governance of State Bodies. In that regard, an oversight agreement is in place between my Department and the RSA which sets out the roles and responsibilities of the RSA. As part of this oversight structure my Department holds four oversight meetings - one per quarter - annually with the RSA where the RSA reports on all areas of its work. These quarterly meetings are complemented by monthly operational updates for all of the RSA's services and significant projects, which my officials review and interrogate. In addition, my Department regularly engages with the RSA as members of the Road Safety Leadership Group as well as through the Road Safety Communications Steering Group which met 10 times in 2025.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 and 353 together.

The four main causes of deaths on our roads are speeding, distracted driving including use of a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt and intoxicated driving, all of which are offences under road traffic legislation. Failing to obey the speed limit may result in a driver being issued 3 penalty points and a Fixed Charge Notice (FCN) to the value of €160 by a member of An Garda Síochána. If this FCN is not paid within 28 days, it is then increased to €240. Similarly, using a mobile phone while driving may result in a driver being issued 3 penalty points and a FCN to the value of €120 by a member of An Garda Síochána. If this FCN is not paid within 28 days, it is then increased to €180. An initial FCN of €120 and three penalty points also applies to non wearing of a seatbelt. In addition, a person found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be subject to a €5000 fine and or up to 6 months in prison as well as being disqualified from driving.

The Road Traffic Act 2024 also introduced mandatory drug testing at the scene of a serious collision, which came into effect in May 2024. This requires members of An Garda Síochána to conduct roadside drug tests at the scene of a crash. In addition under provisions in the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, members of An Garda Síochána now have access to the Irish Motor Insurance Database, which provides insurance information at the roadside through automatic number plate recognition technology and allows for uninsured vehicles to be detected and seized.

My Department is also progressing a significant legislative programme. The National Vehicle and Driver File Bill is targeted for enactment by the summer and will, among other measures, provide legislative clarity on the application of penalty points in multiple-offence incidents, ensuring drivers committing more than one offence in a single incident receive multiple sets of penalty points. The next Road Traffic Bill is also under development to advance Programme for Government commitments around graduated speeding penalties and the camera enforcement of mobile phone and seatbelt offences.

Enforcement of road traffic legislation falls under the remit of An Garda Síochána. Tackling these behaviours also comes down to education and driver awareness.

A number of significant national campaigns were delivered by the RSA in 2025 targeting these dangerous behaviours. These included

• a speed awareness campaign for the reduction from 80km/h to 60km/h speed limits.

• a TV-led Drug driving campaign, highlighting the Gardaí’s ability to test for drugs at the roadside.

• a Drink Driving campaign designed to challenge the social acceptability of drink driving.

There has also been a significant increase in spending on public awareness, communications and education campaigns by the RSA. In 2026 the RSA has again ringfenced funding of €18 million for awareness, education and promotional campaigns, which matches the funding level from 2025. This will ensure a continued focus on campaigns that make our roads safer for all road users, including and especially vulnerable road users. The Road Safety Communications Steering Group established in 2024, and which brings together the RSA communication leads, my Department and other key stakeholders including the Department of Justice and AGS continues to work to ensure coordination across road safety campaigns.

The RSA is also focused on education initiatives. The Road Safety Matters transition year programme was piloted during the 2024-2025 academic year with the RSA successfully delivering training to teachers from almost 140 schools nationwide, representing over 12,700 students. The Programme entered phase 2 in 2025 and is continuing at pace. In 2026 the RSA aims to complete a national rollout to all 730 post-primary schools offering TY. Key units on this programme focus on alcohol, drugs, distracted driving and seatbelts.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 354 to 358, inclusive, together.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the operation, oversight, quality assurance and delivery of the National Car Testing service. As Minister, I have no function in respect of procurement or operational matters.

Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. This includes all testing and scheduling matters. Therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is held by the Authority. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the RSA for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.

Pending this response, the latest information provided to me by the RSA indicates that as of 7 March, the waiting time for a driving test at the Mulhuddart and Mulhuddart Maple House test centres is 20 and 13 weeks respectively.

The wait time at both centres remain well above the Service Level Agreement target of an average 10-week national wait time and I expect the RSA to continue to work to bring the wait time in Mulhuddart down in line with the 10-week target as soon as possible. I am informed by the RSA that it is continuing to focus on addressing centres with higher demand and wait times.

The driving test estimator can be used to check the current average waiting time for an invitation to book a new driving test . Applicants can also change their preferred test centre through the online MyRoadSafety portal. As the average wait time at the Maple House centre is significantly shorter, candidates in the Mulhuddart area are encouraged to select this centre, where possible, when applying. I am also informed that the RSA has advised those awaiting a test in this area that the wait time in Mulhuddart Maple House centre is shorter than at the Mulhuddart centre.

Additionally, the Deputy may wish to note that the monthly statistics for waiting times at individual test centres are made available on the CSO website on a monthly basis and can be accessed via the following link: https://data.cso.ie/table/ROA36

I wish to advise that, since 31 March 2025, all motorists must provide their driver number when renewing or taking out motor insurance. Accordingly, insurance providers may only offer insurance to those who have provided their driver numbers and if someone does not provide their driver number, they will not be able to take out or renew their motor insurance.

The issuing of individual motor insurance policies is a commercial activity and my Department does not have access to the information requested.

I wish to advise the Deputy that my officials and I have had ongoing engagement with the US Department of Transportation (USDoT), Airlines for America (A4A) and the US Ambassador Edward S. Walsh over the last year. This engagement has included in person meetings and written correspondence.

This engagement provided an opportunity for a discussion on the potential impacts of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport and also afforded me the opportunity to provide clarity in relation to the legislation that is currently being drafted in line with the Government decision to address the passenger cap as soon as possible.

In that regard, a General Scheme for the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026 was agreed by Government on 10 February 2026 and pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill has commenced by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport. The Committee is currently meeting with interested parties and has indicated that it intends to complete its report by 24 April 2026. In the meantime, officials are progressing the formal drafting of the Bill with Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.

The proposed legislative approach will empower me to make an order to amend or revoke the 32 million passenger cap planning condition. The proposed legislation also precludes the imposition of future passenger caps as planning conditions.

In advance of making an order, I will engage with An Coimisiún Pleanála to carry out screening and if necessary, undertake full environmental assessments in line with EU law. I will take the outcome of those assessments into account and incorporate any measures necessary to mitigate the impact on the environment into an order.

Government has prioritised the drafting of the Bill and it is my intention to enact the Bill as soon as possible this year.

I can confirm that my Department is aware that a formal complaint was filed with the European Commission on 02 March 2026 alleging that Ireland is in breach of six EU instruments. It is my understanding that the EU Commission will process this complaint in line with its own complaints framework.

With regard to Regulation (EU) 598/2014, as the Deputy will be aware, on 08 of August 2025, An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) notified the EU Commission of the Dublin Airport operating restrictions set out in its July 2025 decision, as required under Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 598/2014, and the Commission subsequently undertook an assessment of the process followed by ACP in its decision.

On 10 February 2026, following completion of its assessment of ACP's July 2025 decision, the EU Commission issued a notification advising that the process used by ACP for the proposed introduction of operating restrictions did not fully follow the Balanced Approach process, as set out in Regulation (EU) 598/2014. In line with the provisions of the Regulation and the 2019 Aircraft Noise Act, as the independent competent authority for this matter, ACP will now be given time to examine this Decision, and to determine the most appropriate next steps.

Concerning the Dublin Airport passenger cap planning condition, the Government has been clear that it intends to address the passenger cap through legislation and approved the general scheme of the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026 to this end in February. The General Scheme is currently subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport. It is my intention to introduce the legislation into the Oireachtas as soon as possible taking account of any observations the Committee may have.

I thank the Deputy for the question.

Following engagement with the daa on the matter of flightpaths at Dublin Airport, I have been advised that given the ongoing regulatory and planning processes in track regarding Dublin Airport it is not daa’s intention to embark on a flightpath review at this time.

Under EU legislation, the operator of an airport, daa in the case of Dublin Airport, is responsible for the design and maintenance of Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs) which set flight paths into and out of an airport. Dublin airport, AirNav Ireland carries out the design and maintenance function on behalf of daa. The Irish Aviation Authority, as the civil aviation safety regulator in Ireland, has responsibility for ensuring that IFPs adhere to safety standards set out in national, EU and international regulations. Flight paths are also monitored for compliance with noise requirements by the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority, in line with EU Regulation 598/2014 and the Aircraft Noise Act 2019.

Separately, monitoring compliance with planning permission conditions is matter for the relevant planning authority that granted those permissions, and enforcement of planning conditions is a matter for those authorities.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 364 and 365 together.

As the Deputy refers, I have convened a roundtable to consider the issue of congestion in the Greater Dublin Area in conjunction with key agencies, operators and local authorities, and options for alleviating immediate pressures on the system particularly the M50.

Early this month, my department published a strategic framework for improving the efficiency of the transport system over the medium to long-term. Moving Together: A Collaborative Approach to Systems Change in Transport 2026–2030 is a call for collective action across all levels of Government and the economy, and encourages employers and companies to find innovative ways for reducing transport demand related to their business activities, thus helping to optimise the use of the transport network for all.

While I look forward to that work progressing, as Minister for Transport I have no role in relation to decisions related to re-locating offices or buildings as described are operational and a matter for the relevant organisations or companies concerned - in this case ESB and the Institute of Public Administration.

Enforcement of road traffic offences, such as speeding, is the primary responsibility of An Garda Síochána. This includes enforcement of speeding laws through the use of cameras.

There are currently 5 average speed cameras in operation across the road network. These are located in the following locations -

• Dublin Port Tunnel

• M7

• N3 Cavan

• N5 Mayo

• N2 Meath

In addition there are nine static safety cameras in operation. These are located at the following locations -

• N17 Mayo

• N59 Galway

• N13 Donegal

• N69 Limerick

• R772 Wexford

• N22 Cork

• N80 Carlow

• N25 Kilkenny

• Dolphin's Barn Dublin 12

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras across the road network to encourage safer driving. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan, as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy.

To assist An Garda Síochána in meeting these objectives, a National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy.

It should also be noted that camera enforcement has been increasing. There are now 9,000 hours of GoSafe monitoring carried out on our roads each month and since late 2024, An Garda Síochána with the assistance of TII and local authorities installed three additional average speed camera zones and nine static camera locations.

BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across our cities, including Limerick. BusConnects is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the State, and is managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA).

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, 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 with 10 days.

Pending this detailed response, I note that the new BusConnects Limerick network was published in draft form in March 2023 for public consultation, during which over 650 responses were received. This feedback was taken into account in the design of the final network plan.

During the public consultation process the NTA received feedback about the potential to extend services to Annacotty Business Park. The NTA has been working with Bus Éireann to identify how and when this need will be met.

As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to rural public transport service provision; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally including the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan and Local Link. In light of the NTA responsibilities 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.

As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to rural public transport service provision; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally including the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan and Local Link. In light of the NTA responsibilities 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.

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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators, in this case Go-Ahead.

In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

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.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

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.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you in relation to the provision of additional markings on the M7/M8 diverge.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

Neither I as Minister for Transport, nor my Department, has any involvement in or knowledge of the type of research the Deputy refers to in his question. Furthermore, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has confirmed that they have no knowledge of geo-engineering occurring in Irish airspace. Furthermore, the IAA has had not approved anyone to perform geo-engineering in Irish airspace.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to active travel. Under the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways or active travel on national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 378 and 379 together.

BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across our cities, including Galway. BusConnects is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the State, and is managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA).

In light of the above, I have forwarded the Deputy's questions to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.

Pending this detailed response, I note that the NTA plans to commence the implementation of the new Galway bus network in the coming years, subject to funding and operational readiness. As part of BusConnects, the NTA is also advancing work on the Cross-City Link, which will improve travel times on the bus network and improve connections for pedestrians and cyclists. Other parts of the BusConnects programme, such as simpler fares, will be delivered with the new bus network.

The NDP Sectoral Investment Plan, which was published by my Department in November last year, has allocated funding to the NTA to progress BusConnects Galway. The NTA will publish a more detailed plan later this year of what elements of the programme will be advanced within the funding available.

Traffic signs must be clear, concise and consistent to ensure their messages are quickly and easily understood by road users. These fundamental principles directly impact road safety, as they help prevent collisions and facilitate smooth traffic flow.

‘Safe roads and roadsides’ are one of the specific areas of intervention in the Safe Systems approach set out in the Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021 to 2030 ‘Our Journey Towards Vision Zero’. As road traffic sign installations have the potential to pose roadside hazards, minimising their size is critical to achieving safe and 'forgiving' roadsides.

Bilingual road traffic signs present unique challenges for both designers and road users across the globe. In Ireland, the design and provision of bilingual road traffic signs is governed by the Traffic Signs Manual which is published by the Department of Transport.

The current system of bilingual road signs in Ireland is long established and developed over many years and are considered safe and fit for purpose.

The key items which must be considered when looking at bilingual signage include:

• Clarity and Consistency: Road traffic signs must be clear, concise and consistent to ensure quick comprehension, which is crucial for road safety.

• Safe Roadsides: Minimising the size of road traffic sign installations is vital to reduce roadside hazards, aligning with the Safe Systems approach in the Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.

• International Comparison: There is no universal standard for bilingual traffic signs. Ireland's approach is effective and compares favourably with other countries.

• Current Effectiveness: The existing method of displaying bilingual text on road traffic signs in Ireland has proven effective over five decades, striking a balance between language differentiation, cognitive load and space efficiency.

• Public Feedback: Ireland's road signs are well understood by the public and visitors with no record of clarity issues surrounding bilingual aspects.

• Risks from Changing: Altering the current approach could negatively impact legibility and road safety and introduce unintended consequences.

• Colour Complexity: Adding colours to differentiate languages could complicate signs, particularly for colourblind users, and dilute the current system's clarity and meaning.

• Official Languages Act : It was determined that Road Signs are exempt from the Official Languages Act due to their primary concern of clarity and road safety.

• It should be noted that the Irish text appears in italic letters at a 15% slant to distinguish the languages and ensures that the necessary message is clear.

• Irish place names are typically 40% longer, and if Irish is placed in capitals, it would result in much wider signs and may add significant additional safety concerns.

• It should be noted that the text of both languages has the same text height to ensure consistency of the message being imparted. The Irish text is positioned above, reflecting its priority in the Constitution.

• Cost and Implementation: Changing the current approach would be costly (estimated between €0.47b to €0.67b) and could disrupt the network over a long transition period, and in doing so present potential road safety risks and contravene circular economy policies.

The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network over the coming years. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles.

Home charging is the primary charging method for most Irish EV owners as it’s convenient and cheaper for the consumer as well as assisting in the overall management of the national grid. Over 80% of charging is expected to happen at home.

There is also a need for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible.

In July 2025, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE) adopted a Strategy Statement on Private Wires. Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) in the Department of Transport fully supports this DCEE-led initiative. In December 2025, I secured government approval to commence drafting of the Private Wires Bill. The bill will amend the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 to enable private development of electricity wires in 4 specific circumstances.

• To permit a private wire linking a single user of electricity to a separate singular generation asset. This connection may also include storage technologies.

• To facilitate hybrid grid connections

• To allow on-street charging solutions for Electric Vehicles

• To allow a customer that self-supplies electricity to provide electricity to a separate customer in a contiguous premises

Department officials are working with officials in relevant Government Departments and local government to develop a framework under new legislation to enable people without access to off street parking to use a home charging solution for on street parking. We expect this to be finalised later this year.

In addition, the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan provides a pathway for the accelerated delivery of public destination and neighbourhood charging and will be led by Local Authorities.

Local authorities will be funded by ZEVI to develop local and regional EV charging network strategies and implementation plans. This process will identify the number of charge points required in each area, including chargers to serve residents without access to private off-street parking. While strategies are being finalised, ZEVI is funding pilot infrastructure projects in a number of Local Authorities, so as not to delay any initial rollout.

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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators. Further, under the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the NTA is responsible for the licensing of public bus passenger services.

In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

Enforcement of road traffic offences, such as speeding, is the primary responsibility of An Garda Síochána. This includes enforcement of speeding laws through the use of cameras. There are currently 5 average speed cameras in operation across the road network. In addition there are nine static safety cameras in operation.

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras across the road network to encourage safer driving. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan, as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy.

To assist An Garda Síochána in meeting these objectives, a National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy.

It should also be noted that camera enforcement has been increasing. There are now 9,000 hours of GoSafe monitoring carried out on our roads each month and since late 2024, An Garda Síochána with the assistance of TII and local authorities installed three additional average speed camera zones and nine static camera locations.

The Programme for Government commits to further expansion of safety cameras across the road network to encourage safer driving. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under Action 6 of the Phase 2 Action Plan, as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy.

In that regard a first National Safety Camera Strategy has been developed. This Strategy will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The Strategy will focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future. I expect to publish this Strategy shortly and my Department is continuing to work closely with all road safety stakeholders including the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána on how best to implement the Strategy, including in relation to urban traffic management offences like bus lane infringement.

Given the NTA's role in this area , I have referred the Deputy's query for direct, detailed response. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

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.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.