The Dublin Transportation Office, which operates under the aegis of my Department, co-ordinates and monitors the implementation of the Dublin transportation initiative strategy. I am satisfied that satisfactory progress is being made with the implementation of the DTI strategy and that significant and important measures are under way to tackle traffic congestion in the greater Dublin area.
The DTO policy document, A Platform for Change, which was launched by the Taoiseach on 2 October 2000, sets out a comprehensive integrated strategy to respond to the transportation needs of the greater Dublin area, GDA, in the period to 2016. This strategy document updates and builds substantially on progress achieved under the Dublin transportation initiative final report already approved by the Government in 1995, taking account of the strategic planning guidelines published in 1999. Further work is being completed on the detail of the strategy, including an examination of the various demand management options available with a view to ensuring that the greatly enhanced public transport facilities, which will be provided, will be utilised to the greatest extent possible.
The total estimated capital cost of the strategy is £14.2 billion and implementation is expected to result in a high quality public transport service being available to most people within ten minutes walking distance of where they live, increase the share of the market accounted for by public transport from 35% to 65%, reduce congestion, improve accessibility and result in significant environmental gains including reductions in energy use and emissions below what they would be otherwise. During the period 1994 to 2000, the Dublin Transportation Office paid out grants amounting to £71.5 million on traffic management schemes in the greater Dublin area. Under the national development plan, over £3 billion is provided to continue DTI related funding through the period 2000 to 2006.