Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I want to ask about transport-oriented development. I get a train from Limerick each week as the Minister knows. I see how the train service is essentially promoting high-density and high-quality development in Portlaoise, Thurles and other places. The plan's annex of actions in respect of transport includes one stating, "Advance an Integrated Spatial Planning and Sustainable Transport work programme, on a continuous inter-departmental basis, with initial focus on 4 Dublin Local Authorities to identify key enablers and barriers to Transport Oriented Design". I would have thought, from a climate point of view, that we should be looking at transport-oriented development in our regional cities more so.

The Minister will be familiar with the Colbert Quarter in Limerick. The recently adopted Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy has provision for new train stations in Moyross, Ballysimon, Lisnagry, Dooradoyle, Raheen, Mungret and many other places. Limerick is quite unique and different to other regional cities in that it has a four-line rail infrastructure going in and out of the city. As we are targeting a population increase in the city of about 50% in a short timeframe, it makes sense for Limerick to be considered in transport-oriented development. We need to figure out where the people who move to Limerick will live. It makes sense that these new settlements will be along the rail line, and there is provision in the recently adopted transport strategy for that. The other side of this is if we do not plan our housing and development, and change the land-use policies, the rail service will not make sense. It would not make any sense to build stations in places where there is low-density development.

I would like to hear the Minister's thoughts on what Limerick's potential is. I am being a bit parochial but I genuinely believe there is a significant opportunity for growth in Limerick and for it to be a model case for transport-oriented development.