Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), John Brady, has hit out at the Minister for Transport and the National Transport Authority (NTA) following confirmation that the €11 million Fassaroe Park and Ride facility is ready for operation, but remains closed, with the taxpayer facing approximately €50,000 in holding costs by the end of September.
Deputy Brady said the latest information raises serious questions about the planning and coordination of the facility, with no certainty on when it will open or how much more taxpayers will have to spend maintaining it while it sits idle.
Teachta Brady said:
“This entire saga is an absolute scandal.
“The NTA has previously confirmed that the €11 million Fassaroe Park and Ride facility is ready for operation, yet there is still no certainty on when people will actually be able to use it.
“Meanwhile, the taxpayer is being forced to pay to protect and maintain an empty facility.
“The NTA has now confirmed that these holding costs will amount to approximately €50,000 by the end of September. That is particularly concerning because previous correspondence indicated that the total cost of these arrangements would not exceed €50,000.
“So the obvious question is, how much more will be spent before this facility finally opens?
“We have an €11 million facility, substantially completed in late 2025, with 388 parking spaces, sitting unused because the necessary funding for the bus services has not been secured.
“The NTA says it has sought funding for operation as part of its 2027 budgetary request and is awaiting the outcome.
“There are also questions around procurement. The NTA says a procurement competition has been completed and a preferred bidder identified, with tendered prices remaining valid for six months.
“What happens if that period expires before funding is secured? Will a new procurement process be required, causing further delay and cost?
“This all gives Wicklow commuters absolutely no certainty.
“And this is where the situation becomes even more difficult to understand.
“While taxpayers are being asked to spend tens of thousands of euro protecting an €11 million facility that is sitting idle, there is now growing uncertainty around other Park and Ride projects across the county.
“Further south along the N11 corridor, a 210-space bus-based Park and Ride facility is planned at Junction 16 on the N11 near Ashford/Rathnew. The project received Part 8 planning consent from Wicklow County Council in March of last year.
“Negotiations to secure the site by agreement from a private landowner have now concluded and the land has been acquired by Wicklow County Council, funded by the NTA for an as yet undisclosed sum.
“However, the NTA state that it is uncertain whether the Ashford/Rathnew project will commence next year, with the absence of funding meaning the project cannot move beyond the design stage.
“What certainty is there that this facility will actually be funded and delivered?
“While in West Wicklow, we have further uncertainty, with senior roads staff confirming at the latest meeting of Wicklow County Council that Transport Infrastructure Ireland is no longer willing to fund the proposed Park and Ride facility in Hollywood.
“So we have a situation where one €11 million Park and Ride facility is sitting ready but unused, with the taxpayer paying to protect it, while funding certainty for other Park and Ride facilities across Wicklow is being put into question.
“That raises very serious questions about the overall planning and coordination of Park and Ride investment in the county.
“How can one facility be sitting idle and incurring ongoing costs, while other projects that could provide much-needed options for commuters are being left in limbo.
“Wicklow commuters deserve answers.
“I will continue raising this directly with the Minister and demanding clarity on when the Fassaroe facility will open, the ultimate holding costs, what happens if the procurement arrangements expire, and what the future holds for the other Park and Ride projects across Wicklow.
“We need a coherent plan for Park and Ride provision across the county, so that public money already being invested actually delivers for Wicklow commuters.
“Enough is enough.”
ENDS