Fitzpatrick calls on government colleagues to fund DART+ South-West project

Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick has called on her government colleagues to commit to funding the DART+ South West project.

The Northside Senator said that the project, which runs across both the Northside and Southside, has the potential to tackle long-standing traffic gridlock in the centre of Dublin.

Fitzpatrick said the project was first proposed in 2000, and over a quarter of a century later, a shovel has not been placed in the ground.

“In the last few days, we’ve had gridlock in Dublin and disruption on the roads, not just in the city but around the city and in the surrounding counties; we must ask what is causing the delay in us advancing a well-designed, thought-out and planned public transportation plan like the DART+ South West project.”

She noted that as the design stands, it could quadruple the tracking between Park West, Cherry Orchard and Heuston Station, a solution that could reduce a major bottleneck for commuters going from the Southside to the Northside.

She said that the project, if it ever gets going, will accelerate the travel times for commuter traffic and passengers on intercity services.

“One might wonder why Mary Fitzpatrick cares so much about Kildare North or even the South-West of the city; as a Dub, I care about all of Dublin and the commuter belt,” she explained, and said that Cabra, at the heart of her constituency, was going to majorly benefit from the project.

“Cabra has a population of roughly 26,000 people in the hinterland of where the station would be located, who could avail of this transport option. That is 26,000 people who are living, working and contributing in our capital city. The station will be located just off the Cabra Road.”

Fitzpatrick said, “even if you do not live in Cabra, you will have heard of Cabra if you listen to the road traffic reports. We hear about congestion coming in from Castleknock, down the Navan Road to Cabra Cross and then down the Cabra Road to Doyle’s Corner. Famously, every traffic bulletin refers to the traffic congestion at Doyle’s Corner and down the North Circular Road. If the DART+ South West project progresses, a lot of people could get out of their cars and get on the DART, and then they would be able to connect to Connolly Station and Drumcondra Station.

She said the project has “enormous transport benefits, economic benefits and social benefits,” and has called on the government to fully get behind the project.

“At the moment, the indicative schedule is for the works to commence in 2030. I do not believe we should wait until 2030, and I do not I think the government believes we should wait until 2030,” she said.

“I believe, and the people of Dublin and of Kildare North believe, that the DART+ South West project, with planning permission, with design, with approval and support from the government, can go ahead much earlier than 2030.”

Junior Minister Thomas Byrne noted that An Coimisiún Pleanála approved a railway order for DART+ South West in November 2024, and procurement for DART+ South West and DART+ West is progressing with pre-qualification questionnaire notices for design and build works advertised in May last year.

This week, it was announced that the formal land acquisition process for the 750 directly impacted landowners along the DART+ South West route has commenced.