Vol. 543 No. 2
572 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the home zone initiative under way in many countries which improves quality of life in residential estates; and the plans he has to launch a similar scheme here. [27007/01]
Under section 38 of the Road Traffic Act, 1994, road authorities are empowered, in the interest of the safety and convenience of road users, to provide traffic calming measures on public roads in their charge, subject to the consent of the National Roads Authority in the case of national roads. It is a matter for each individual road authority to decide on the nature and extent of traffic calming measure to be provided at particular locations within its functional area based on specific circumstances. In addition, the Dublin Transportation Office provides grants to local authorities in the greater Dublin area in respect of a range of traffic management measures, including traffic calming arrangements and environmental traffic cells.
The Planning and Development Act, 2000 provides in section 10 that each planning authority's development plan shall include objectives for, inter alia, the integration of the planning and sustainable development of the area with the social, community and cultural requirements of the area and its population and the preservation, improvement and extension of amenities, including recreational amenities. This framework appears adequate to support a variety of approaches, including innovative approaches, to traffic management in restricted areas. My Department does not propose at this time to recommend any particular approach for adoption by all local authorities.
