Olivia Mitchell
Question:337 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to take a co-ordinating role to ensure that new road and planned new rail routes share alignments where appropriate. [29115/04]
View answerWednesday, 17 November 2004
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The planning, design and implementation of national road improvement projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority and the local authorities concerned. The local authorities, in their role as statutory road authorities, undertake the detailed planning of individual road projects taking account of the overall policy on the national roads programme, local development plans and environmental impacts.
With regard to rail development, Irish Rail is responsible, in the first instance, for formulating plans, which will meet the identified demands for rail services into the future. Major rail projects require a railway order issued by me in my capacity as Minister for Transport, which involves the preparation of an environmental impact statement and the holding by an appointed inspector of a public inquiry at which all interested parties may be represented.
Irish Rail is developing a proposal to serve Dunboyne via a route which will branch off near Clonsilla on the Dublin-Sligo rail line and run through areas such as Hansfield, which has recently been zoned to cater for substantial residential development. This line will then run northwards towards Dunboyne terminating at a park and ride facility adjacent to the N3. Irish Rail and Meath County Council are undertaking a feasibility study of the rail proposal. This study will include an assessment of how road and rail proposals complement each other.
Under the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, the regional authorities have recently finalised their regional planning guidelines for their regions. These guidelines provide regional land use strategies consistent with the national spatial strategy. They also identify proposed measures for the further development of transport in the regions. All local authorities are now required to have regard to these regional planning guidelines. My Department is working closely with the regional authorities to ensure that planning of transport projects takes full account of the guidelines.