Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is not a new question but it is one in respect of which the reply should be updated regularly. The Deputy is right: there are short-term problems which must be addressed and the medium-term steps are equally important. I know he regularly says we do not have a vision and we should have both a long-term and a short-term vision of what will happen. I think we can offer that to the Deputy today.

The Dublin City Centre Transport Study, published jointly by Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority, NTA, in 2015, recognised that a rebalancing of the available road space would be required on various streets to facilitate the introduction of additional capacity for public transport, cycling and walking. Through a multi-agency approach by NTA, DCC, and TII working in conjunction with the various public transport operators, the measures set out in the 2015 study are being progressed so as to ensure that the Dublin city transport system is capable of operating efficiently and reliably, with consistent journey times, and that it facilitates the city's continued development and growth.

The NTA's Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-35 provides the overarching framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services for Dublin over the next two decades. The measures proposed in the strategy are linked to an analysis of current and projected levels of travel demand across the region.

Recent investment in public transport, allocated through the NTA, was targeted to provide additional capacity and alternative choice for private car users. This included investment in new cycling routes and expansion of public bicycle share schemes, integrated ticketing and real-time passenger information, renewal and expansion of the bus fleet, commencement of city centre rail resignalling, opening of the Phoenix Park tunnel, the progressive and ongoing introduction of city centre traffic management measures, reorganisation of bus services and the introduction of Luas cross city.

Budget 2018 provides for an increase in the multi-annual capital investment for public transport with a four-year capital envelope of €2.7 billion over the period from 2018 to 2021. The national development plan, which was launched earlier this year by the Government as part of Project Ireland 2040, confirms a number of key investment priorities. These will be delivered progressively and steadily over the short, medium and long term, to deliver a comprehensive public transport network to match transport demand, alleviate congestion and deliver a range of benefits over the next decade.

See this speech in context