Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 Feb 1992

Vol. 415 No. 4

Written Answers. - Dublin Transport Plan.

Patrick McCartan

Ceist:

35 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for the Environment if his Department plan to submit a detailed plan covering Dublin's transport needs for the next 20 years for EC structural funding; when the plan will be drawn up; the consultation he intends to have with interested parties before the document is submitted; when it is expected that the plan will be ready; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

37 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment if under the Dublin Transportation Initiative Second Phase or separately, he has considered introducing legislation to permit county borough councils to establish their own traffic police with prosecuting powers for traffic and related matters.

Minister for the Environment (Dr. O'Hanlon)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 37 together.

I recently announced a decision to go ahead with phase 2 of the Dublin transportation initiative, the main features of which will be: the development of an effective process for ongoing and integrated transportation planning in the greater Dublin area; the preparation of a long term integrated transportation strategy for the period up to 2011 which will be both practicable and updatable; and the production of a medium term investment and implementation programme for the period 1994 to 1998 based on that strategy.

Phase 2 will have a 15 month work programme, with a final report due in April 1993. A critical element of that work programme will be the preparation by autumn of 1992 of an interim report which will form a possible input to negotiations on EC Structural Fund investment for the period 1994 to 1998.

The terms of reference for phase 2 provide for an open approach, involving a two-way consultative process between the study team and the general public, institutions and interest groups. There will be substantial public consultation, using market research techniques, discussions with interested bodies, public meetings, invitations to make submissions and other suitable methods. The emphasis will be on public participation from an early stage in phase 2, while options are still genuinely open, and again at later stages when strategies and plans are being developed and refined. A local authority committee comprised of local elected representatives and a consultative panel representing transport users and providers are being established at present, as part of the steering arrangements for phase 2.

The terms of reference also provide for an appraisal of traffic and parking enforcement and a review of institutional arrangements relating to transport in Dublin. This would permit consideration of proposals for a separate traffic police, but I want to stress that phase 2 starts with an open agenda — no option is ruled out or ruled in.