Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senators for their contributions to a very interesting and useful debate on Transport 21. I do not doubt that it is the first of many debates we will have on this important initiative and the major projects included therein over the next ten years. The recurring message from many speakers related to implementation. Practically everyone welcomed the plan but asked about its implementation. I note Senator Quinn's comment about determination. Some speakers have alluded to the reaction that followed the announcement of Transport 21, some of which, disappointingly, was negative.

In the days following the launch, and after the political points-scoring, I was proud to hear the political parties say that if in Government, they would implement the plan. When one studies Transport 21, one can see the amount of detail in it, the costings and the different approach in this plan as opposed to previous ones. My colleague, the Minister, the Government and myself assure Senators that we are determined to address one of the more serious issues in our community. We have addressed many other issues. When we took office, there were problems with high unemployment, housing, education and many other such issues. The majority of people will agree most of those issues have been addressed. However, the one issue on which we need to focus is transport and it is our intention to do so.

Two key strategies underpin Transport 21, namely, the development of a high-quality national transport network with improved regional and local public transport networks and services, and the transformation of the transport network in the greater Dublin area. Senator Brady referred to integration and the need for particular programmes, such as the metro. I am particularly pleased of my role as Minister of State in regard to the projects for the greater Dublin area and, of course, nationally.

As Senators will be aware, part of my delegated responsibilities as Minister of State in the Department include responsibility for traffic management in the greater Dublin area as well as in the provincial cities of Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford. In this regard, I am pleased to say Transport 21 makes substantial provision for investment in traffic management, such as quality bus corridors, green routes, park and ride, etc. A key objective of these measures is to help reduce congestion in the city of Dublin and the provisional cities through bus priority, car control and other traffic management measures. In turn, this will create improvements in the quality of public transport services with a view to creating the conditions for a modal shift from the private car to public transport. That modal shift can only occur if we have reliable, efficient and regular public service transport.

In the greater Dublin area, Transport 21 will fund the construction of many new quality bus corridors, cycle paths, improved pedestrian facilities and traffic management support systems. The bulk of expenditure on traffic management measures in the greater Dublin area is earmarked for the delivery of QBCs designed to reduce the travel time for passengers, improved bus performance and improved quality of the bus transport experience. We want shorter commuting times. I was delighted Senator Brady had a 4.5 minute commute this morning. That is type of time within which I would like people to be able to commute.

Since 1994, the Exchequer has funded bus priority and car control measures in the greater Dublin area. The timely and successful implementation of the quality bus network programme between 2006 and 2016 will result in a doubling of the length of the bus priority schemes throughout the region and will lead to further improvements in the quality, reliability and efficiency of the bus service.

The provision of bus and rail-based park and ride facilities will make an important contribution to improved traffic management in Dublin. In this regard, I approved the DTO's strategy for rail-based park and ride facilities in the greater Dublin area. I also indicated that I wanted to ensure we considered bus-based park and ride facilities and that capital funding would be available for suitable projects, subject to compliance with the normal requirements for a business-based capital appraisal. Arrangements for park and ride funding will also extend to public transport interchange projects. However, revenue support to subsidised park and ride is not available at this stage.

Two types of park and ride are envisaged, namely, strategic and local. A number of larger strategic sites will be identified close to or on the strategic rail corridors where longer distance commuters can transfer to public transport. Local park and ride sites will be smaller in scale and located along all the public transport corridors. Good examples of these types of sites are in the existing facilities with which I presume the Senators can identify.

I turn to the provincial cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford where my Department has also funded the implementation of a range of traffic management, bus priority and car restraint measures since 2002. These include measures such as quality bus corridors, green routes, park and ride facilities, cycle paths and improved pedestrian facilities. I congratulate those cities for their work in this regard, in particular my colleague, Mr. Tim O'Sullivan, and his team in the traffic office.

Cork is making significant improvements with the implementation of traffic management and bus priority measures under its Cork area strategic plan. A Senator asked why implementation of Transport 21 will take so long. Cork's plan will take 20 years to implement while Transport 21 will take ten. Cork's plan is tremendous and it has made considerable progress. The welcome aspect is that it will snowball and be even better as it rolls out because much thought and effort has gone into it. It has also already drawn down €20 million from my Department. We can learn from the success in Cork.

Limerick, Galway and Waterford have also made significant progress and they have many good plans. I would say to those representing any of the cities mentioned or any of the provincial towns that if I can assist in any way to roll out plans, I would be happy to do so. I have met a number of city managers, directors of services for traffic and public representatives on these issues.

I thank Senator Brady for mentioning my initiative, the Clare Street initiative. Following my appointment to the Department of Transport, I met a range of organisations and groups with a common interest in achieving improvements in traffic management in the capital. As a result of those discussions as well as my determination to make improvements, I actively explored the scope to progress the effective implementation of traffic management and related measures in Dublin in order to bring added value to major transport investments which are under way and planned. It culminated in the establishment of the CSI at the start of October. The initiative brings together all the relevant players in the greater Dublin area to consider how we can make things better in Dublin. In particular, the initiative will focus on the following: measures which have the capacity to make a material difference, whether large or small; measures which are capable of delivering rapid results; and measures which might not otherwise attract high priority in terms of implementation.

Some 37 projects were tabled by members of the Clare Street initiative at its initial meeting held in Clontarf Castle on 5 October last. Workshops were held to consider the projects in detail and a short-list of projects was identified. This was real work in progress. Announcement of a final project list requires that the bodies identified as implementing agencies for individual projects confirm they are prepared to carry forward the projects. The process is currently in hand. When the implementing agencies have decided on the individual projects, the list will be formally announced. I am confident, based on the quality of people on board and on the initial work to date, that the Clare Street initiative can and will make a material difference to the way traffic flows in the Dublin area. I hope I will be able to roll out this model in the other provincial cities when we see it has worked well.

Today is 1 December and the countdown to Christmas has well and truly started. Accordingly, I should mention Operation Freeflow, the purpose of which is to manage the increase in traffic flows in the capital which occur each year in the run up to Christmas and into the new year. I am pleased to indicate that all the agencies have come together for the first time this year. I have brought in players, including the car parks, transport providers, local authorities and State agencies such as the Garda Síochána, and asked that they give additional value this year. It is the first year in which all public transport services are running late night services. There is late night car parking and no charge for overnight car parking. There is a host of measures under Operation Freeflow and I encourage people to log onto the website at www.freeflow.ie.

I take the opportunity to congratulate all those who have made a significant effort to ensure that people who wish to come to Dublin to visit friends, relatives, Santa Claus, go shopping or whatever else will have an enjoyable and pleasurable experience and that any traffic disruption to their journeys will be minimised to the benefit of everybody.

I thank all speakers for their very kind and positive contributions on the bigger picture of Transport 21. I again invite Members to feel free to contact me or my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, or our Department at any time on any one of the issues.

On a final note, I am pleased to say we will be able to give Members regular briefings as to progress. An interdepartmental monitoring committee will track progress in our long-term investment strategy in Transport 21.