TD calls on government to commit to people of Kildare over DART+ West

A Kildare North TD has called on the government to show its commitment to the people of the county by securing funding for the DART+ West project for Kildare.

“This morning, we received an update on the project by the National Transport Authority which revealed that construction work will begin in 2027 – although this was subject to funding,” Deputy Aidan Farrelly (SD) said.

“While the progress in these updates is always very welcome, the ever-present asterisk of “subject to funding” makes me wary that we could be looking at another Metrolink fiasco.

“They need to put their money where their mouth is. Until we see that we can’t quite trust it.

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“With so much of the design and preparation work so far advanced, it’s ridiculous that funding has not been secured to give the final go-ahead. You’d think the government would have learned something by now.”

In a briefing to the Social Democrats TD a spokesperson for the NTA explained that following the resolution of judicial reviews of the plan, Iarnród Éireann is now working on the design and tender documents for procurement for construction.

However, there is no decision yet on a location for the depot near Kilcock.

And while the spokesperson anticipated that construction work could commence in 2027, he cautioned that it is subject to funding availability.  

“It is understood that the Department of Transport is developing an investment programme across the transport sector, aligned to the available funding assigned to it following the National Development Plan review,” the spokesperson said.

It is understood that this investment plan will be available in the coming months and until then, the NTA cannot give an estimated completion date for the project.

Meanwhile the decision on the location of the depot, expected to be somewhere between Maynooth and Kilcock is “nearing a conclusion,” the spokesperson said.

“Iarnród Éireann and the NTA are currently engaging on the submission of a new Railway Order for the depot. The submission of the Railway Order is currently expected to occur in Summer 2026.”

Deputy Farrelly welcomed the news that construction would start in 2027 and expressed his hope that funding would not be held up.

“I’m very much looking forward to the start of construction of this project – although I am concerned that every update we get always reveals that funding is not yet in place,” he said.

“The Government must commit to seeing this project through, rather than constantly dilly dallying - one Metrolink fiasco is surely enough for this government.

“It’s about time the government fully committed to the more than 100,000 people who live in the communities of north Kildare by locking in funding for this project.

“Dart+ West can be hugely beneficial for the growing communities in the north of our county where it’s so important that we have a working public transport system.”