Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, John Brady, has welcomed confirmation from the National Transport Authority (NTA) that construction of the long-awaited Ashford–Rathnew Park and Ride facility is due to commence in 2027, but has warned that the mistakes made in the development of the Fassaroe Park and Ride must not be repeated.
In an update to Deputy Brady, the NTA confirmed that, with capital allocations for next year now being finalised, it can commit to construction of the Ashford–Rathnew facility commencing in 2027.
The NTA also confirmed that detailed design work and the preparation of procurement documents are ongoing, with the intention of tendering the project in early 2027 and commencing construction shortly afterwards.
Teachta Brady said:
“I welcome the confirmation from the NTA that construction of the Ashford–Rathnew Park and Ride is due to commence in 2027. This is a positive development and welcome news for people in Wicklow who have been waiting far too long for this much-needed facility.
“This project has been discussed for years, and it is now essential that we move beyond promises and see it delivered without any further delays.
“In 2023, the NTA indicated that the facility would be delivered by 2025, but that timeline quickly slipped. The project subsequently went through an extensive public consultation process in 2024 before receiving formal approval from the full Wicklow County Council in March 2025.
“At that time, councillors and the public were told that this facility, which will provide 210 car parking spaces, would be delivered and operational by the fourth quarter of 2026.
“While the latest confirmation that construction will begin in 2027 is welcome, it represents a further delay to what was originally promised.
“Approximately €1.16 million has already been spent developing this project, including €950,000 on the acquisition of the site.
“That is a very significant public investment, and we now must see real delivery.
“We must also see that very real lessons have been learned from the failures related to the development of the Fassaroe Park and Ride.
“In Fassaroe, we have a brand new €11 million facility that is substantially complete which remains locked and unavailable to the public because the necessary funding has not been put in place to provide the bus services required to make it operational.
“That is a completely unacceptable situation that has still not been rectified, and this failure of forward planning and coordination simply cannot happen again.
“The Ashford–Rathnew project must now be delivered efficiently.
“That means completing the procurement process and moving to construction promptly, but it also means ensuring that the necessary bus services, operational funding and supporting arrangements are in place so that the facility cannot open immediately once completed.
“People in Wicklow have waited long enough.
“They deserve more than another announcement or another set of revised timelines, they deserve real delivery on vital public transport infrastructure.
“We must ensure that the Ashford–Rathnew project is delivered on time, that the necessary services are in place, and that the failures we have witnessed at Fassaroe are not repeated.”
ENDS