Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, the national planning framework calls for enhanced land-side access to Dublin Airport, particularly in public transport terms. I also note that the local authority’s local area plan for the airport requires that any planning application to increase passenger numbers at the airport must clearly demonstrate the transport infrastructure and measures required to accommodate any proposed increase.

The Deputy will be aware that An Bord Pleanála recently concluded its oral hearing into MetroLink, which is going to be a transformational project not just for Dublin Airport but, more importantly, for the wider Fingal area generally. It will provide a new high-capacity public transport corridor from Swords to the city centre via the airport and its delivery is something I know all sides of the House are keen to see.

In the shorter term, I am pleased the NTA is currently in the process of introducing significant improvements to the public transport offering at Dublin Airport as part of the continued roll-out of the BusConnects network redesign project. These improvements will see new and enhanced services introduced from September this year and continuing throughout next year as well, improving connections between the airport and all parts of Dublin, north, south, east, west and the city centre. This will build on the 1,000-plus buses that depart the airport daily serving passengers in Dublin and throughout the country. These service improvements will be accompanied by infrastructure improvements as well through the planned Swords core bus corridor. I am pleased that we are starting to see planning decisions emerge from An Bord Pleanála regarding BusConnects corridors and I look forward to a similar decision relating to Swords.

Responsibilities for the ongoing development of the road network are a function of the local authority in respect of regional and local roads and of TII in respect of the national road network. The local area plan has several medium- and longer-term proposals in that regard.

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