Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will address the issue of light rail first. I know that Deputy Connolly has been a very keen crusader for light rail in Galway for a long time. The issue of light rail was considered in the preparation of the draft strategy. However, it established that there is insufficient demand to justify the significant additional cost of developing a light rail system and the public transport network set out in the strategy will remain bus-based.

Under the regional cities programme, the Department provides funding to the NTA for the development of bus lanes; green routes, to which the Deputy referred, other bus priority measures and safety measures for pedestrians and cyclists in the regional cities of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. The NTA manages this programme on behalf of the Department. In the period from 2011 to 2015, around €60 million was provided by the NTA to the local authorities and transport operators in the four regional cities for bus priority and other public transport measures, of which over €10 million was in respect of projects in Galway. Overall funding for this programme in 2016 is €13.5 million, of which Galway has an allocation of €2.14 million.

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