Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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64. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 189 of 20 March 2024, the status of the roll-out of park and ride in Galway city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21901/24]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Tá mé ag díriú isteach ar chúrsaí páirceála agus taistil i nGaillimh. Tá mé ag iarraidh a fháil amach stádas na bpleananna chun córas páirceála agus taistil a chur i bhfeidhm. I stand here 20 years after the city development plan, which became law on 1 February for that plan, put in two objectives, east and west of the city, to roll out park and ride. Twenty years and three months later, nothing has been rolled out. If the Minister could give me an update on the progress now, I would appreciate that.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The NTA is leading the development and roll-out of strategic park and ride nationwide through its park and ride development office.

The NTA established the park and ride development office in February 2020 and it has been included in the climate action plan since 2019. The function of the office is to enable the delivery of park and ride sites by the NTA in collaboration with local authorities and transport operators, such as Iarnród Éireann, across the country. Through the park and ride development office, full-time specialist resources are now employed on such projects.

The park and ride development office has developed a park and ride strategy for Galway. That park and ride strategy envisages the development of up to five bus-based strategic park and ride sites - three for initial development and two for future development - and the expansion of rail-based park and ride site at Oranmore station.

Work by the park and ride development office is ongoing in relation to proposed bus-based park and ride sites on the N6, at the junction 19 Oranmore exit, and the N83, just north of Claregalway. Planning for enhanced rail infrastructure to facilitate the expansion of rail-based park and ride at Oranmore station is separately being undertaken by Iarnród Éireann in conjunction with the NTA.

Work on the remaining proposed sites will commence at a future date as they are highly dependent upon the delivery of bus priority along the relevant connecting corridors.

Overall, I welcome these developments. I share the Deputy's frustration. I look forward to the projects progressing at these strategic locations to help reduce the distance travelled by car, with a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions and congestion.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I know the Minister shares my frustration. The reason I mentioned the 20 years is because the people of Galway had foresight at that point 20 years ago and said that this was one integral part of the solution to Galway City's traffic. The other part, of course, is light rail - my question later on will not be reached. In the meantime, the traffic congestion has built up and the feeling of frustration by drivers, cyclists and pedestrians is overwhelming in our beautiful city.

On park and ride, 20 years later I welcome that there is now a park and ride office. I welcome that the NTA is looking at. There are five sites. No progress would seem to have been made, according to the Minister's answer, in relation to the site on the western Barna side - Cappagh Road - although I have a more hopeful response from the NTA that it is now actively looking at that. Could the Minister talk to me about that? Can the Minister give me some timelines as to when we will see park and ride sites on the east and west of the city as an integral part of the solution - just one part - to the traffic congestion in Galway?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I will go into some of the detail that I have been informed of by the NTA on those three sites. First, in regard to the N6 at junction 19, a 550-space site, the site selection process has led to two emerging site options at this junction. It looks now likely that a compulsory purchase order may be required irrespective of which site is selected. Following a finalisation of the site selection process, which is expected in the next two months, the park and ride development office will commence design on the selected site with a view to preparing planning consent and the compulsory purchase order documentation later this year to be delivered, subject to planning consent, and works to start building next year. Second, on the N6, because of the approach including a roundabout, there will be a need for bus priority in the westbound direction, probably in the form of hard-shoulder bus-running, and provision for that bus priority will be critical for the project to be able to be developed. In relation to site 2, at the N83 at Claregalway, of 320 spaces, two possible site locations have been identified. Discussions with the relevant landowners are about to commence to see whether those sites could be acquired by agreement rather than compulsory purchase order.

Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent)
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I thank the Minister.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am sorry about this. I will finish, if I can. On site 3, the one the Deputy specifically asks about, the discussions are ongoing with Galway City Council in relation to a potential site along the Cappagh Road on the western side of the city. It is understood that lands in public ownership may be available in the vicinity of this location. Discussions are advancing to investigate the feasibility of park and ride measures which leverage the provision of planned bus priority measures at Gort Na Bro and other wider bus priority measures.

As I said, the other two sites are further off. It is critical that we develop these first three, which, as I set out, are at advanced stages of planning.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for the clarification on the Cappagh site. It is a priority because originally there was no plan coming from that side. I am glad to hear that. Although it is small, and much smaller than the other ones, it is also publicly owned.

I despair at the lack of action in relation to this. I keep telling the Minister that it is 20 years since we put the objectives in. Five or more years ago, 24,000 people signed a petition looking for a feasibility study for light rail and here we are, in 2024, still waiting on that feasibility study. I heard my colleague behind me refer to the outer bypass. It was never going anywhere. My difficulty with the outer by-pass was the failure to do other parallel changes to Galway city. We have a city that at peak times is absolutely choked with traffic. It has been allowed to get worse.

We need urgent action in relation to park and ride for people coming in from Connemara. I welcome the small site. I would hope that it would be top, not bottom, of the list for the NTA now. Obviously, the other two sites, which are very big sites, are also very welcome.

I am over time. Considering the 20-year background, when will we see park and ride operating?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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First, I agree with the Deputy. I have a concern that the waiting for a Galway outer bypass may have seen the authorities not put push the delivery of the public transport and active travel solutions which, I believe, will be critical to turning around Galway's transport difficulties and providing a system that works. The site the Deputy mentions in the west is, to my mind, a particular example of that because I understand the local authority may own the lands which could be used as a potential site.

I believe we should advance the various public transport and park and ride measures such as these, regardless of what the local authority or other authorities are looking at in terms of an outer ring road around Galway. Listing the details of where those three projects are at, they are very much now within the stage of going to compulsory purchase order, going to site acquisition or, in the case of the western part of the city, the local authority making a decision as to whether it wants to use its publicly-owned land in that regard or await some other development.