Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022
457. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of capital investment in the transport sector for the foreseeable future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21274/22]
View answerThe National Development Plan 2021-2030 was launched by Government in October 2021 has allocated €35 billion for the investment in transport. The plan heavily invests in public transport and active travel to support Ireland’s climate change obligations to achieve a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Some of the major projects include:
- 500,000 extra daily walking, cycling and public transport journeys will be delivered by 2030, making it easier for people to travel in a sustainable way. €360 million a year will support up to circa 1,000 km of new and improved walking and cycling infrastructure by 2025, as well as additional investment in greenways – the largest ever investment in active travel infrastructure.
- BusConnects will be substantially delivered in all five cities across the country, massively expanding access to public transport and radically improving cycling infrastructure. On rural and regional bus services, around €350m will be invested in renewing and expanding fleets across the country.
- Increased investment in the inter-urban and regional rail network will improve journey times, enhance reliability and maintain safety across the system. MetroLink and Dart+ in Dublin will be progressed to construction.
- Complementing public transport infrastructure investment, Connecting Ireland will deliver a dynamic approach to public transport in rural and regional areas, expanding local bus services and connecting rural communities with their key towns and regional growth centres.
- The NDP commits to a renewal of the road network (100,000 km), major urban and regional roads projects will be progressed to delivery including the M50 Traffic Control Project and bypasses of Moycullen and Listowel. Other important projects will be progressed including the N20/M20 corridor. It is targeted that almost 1 million electric cars, supported by additional infrastructure, will be travelling on our roads by 2030.
These capital investments in our transport infrastructure will have a transformative effect on how we travel, supporting increased usability for the public and making substantial gains in our mission to combat climate change over the course of this decade.
Further details on the NDP's transport commitments can be found at www.gov.ie/en/publication/774e2-national-development-plan-2021-2030/.
