Ciarán Cuffe
Ceist:542 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Transport the changes that have been made in his Department's plans, programmes, policies and spending arising from the publication of the Government's national spatial strategy. [25421/03]
Written Answers. - National Spatial Strategy.
The national spatial strategy supports the development of a high quality network of roads and public transport services, to facilitate more balanced regional development. My Department has a special focus on the provision of support for the development of integrated land use and transport planning and related measures generally throughout the country and particularly now in the context of the roll-out of the national spatial strategy. It is represented on an interdepartmental committee established to oversee the implementation of the NSS and has submitted an issues paper for the committee's consideration.
It is also represented on the steering groups developing regional planning guidelines in each of the eight regional authorities. In addition, my Department has established an internal NSS cross-cutting team to progress the transport elements of the NSS. This team includes officials of the national spatial strategy unit of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
The next five-year railway safety investment programme to commence in 2004 is currently being finalised by the Railway Safety Task Force, taking due account of current Government policy, including the national spatial strategy. The main strategic road infrastructure upgrade proposals identified in the national spatial strategy, that is, upgrading of the main inter-urban links and upgrade works on the N2, N3, N4, N11, etc., are reflected in the NRA's current national roads development programme for the next four to five years.
The national spatial strategy has a longer time perspective than the roads programme currently in construction and active planning. As the national roads programme is rolled forward and the major inter-urban links upgraded, provision will be made for additional strategic radial and linking corridors identified as priorities in the national spatial strategy such as linkages to Letterkenny-Derry, Castlebar-Ballina and enhanced routes between Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford and better North-South linkages through the midlands. Much of this work will extend beyond the current NDP. However, the national spatial strategy will be taken into account in the forward planning of the roads programme by the NRA.