Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Craughwell for raising this important matter, particularly in respect of Cork city and county, and for the opportunity to address the House on the issue. As the Senator pointed out, funding of €3.6 billion has been allocated for public transport in the Government's capital plan. The funding for the transport elements of the plan is for a seven-year period from 2016 to 2022. The focus of this investment, particularly in the early years of the capital plan, is on achieving essential steady-state maintenance of our existing public transport network, particularly the heavy rail network, throughout the country to ensure it remains safe and fit for purpose.

From time to time, a misunderstanding arises that there is a vast sum of money available to develop motorways countrywide. As the Senator will be aware, we are still struggling to maintain the roads at current standards and even this will not be fully possible for another year or two. Expenditure on new roads or motorways will result in reduced funding for other projects meaning other roads will suffer. From 2019 onwards, however, we will spend much more on new infrastructure. While I accept that is a long time to wait, that is the financial reality.

In recent correspondence to the Senator, I provided an overview of how the €3.6 billion allocation for public transport will be spent. As I outlined, it is not possible to draw a clear line between investments in the greater Dublin area and outside the area in all cases.For example, the funding of approximately €1.3 billion allocated in the capital plan for the maintenance of the heavy rail network, which is more than one third of the total funding available for public transport, will benefit all areas of the heavy rail network within and outside the greater Dublin area.

The Senator specifically requested details of the funding available for capital investment in Cork city and county. I will outline recent and planned investment in public transport in Cork. Funding is provided under the capital plan for sustainable transport projects and accessibility programmes in the regional cities of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. These programmes are administered by the National Transport Authority. Over €70 million has been allocated over the period of the capital plan for sustainable projects in the regional cities and for accessibility programmes. Between 2014 and 2016, more than €15 million was allocated to Cork city and county councils under the regional cities and accessibility programmes. Over the remaining years of the capital plan, it is anticipated that public transport investment in the Cork metropolitan area will represent a continuation of the current focus of the investment programme.

In the case of the Cork City Council area, this investment has been focused on the implementation of the city centre movement strategy on a number of radially-based strategy transport corridors linking the city centre with the city suburbs and county environs. The principal objective of the city centre movement strategy is to improve access to the city centre through the reallocation of road space, leading to an improvement in the environment for public transport vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. The overall city centre movement strategy was approved by the city council and phases 1 and 2 are already at construction stage in 2017.

The full strategy includes a further six phases and these are intended for implementation over the coming years. Three strategic corridor studies were completed with funding provided between 2013 and 2017. These focused on the south east, south west, south central and north sides of the city. The purpose of these studies is to inform the development of a high-quality core bus network and improve walking and cycling links over time, complementing the objectives of the city centre movement strategy. Several schemes have already been progressed in Mahon. The intention is to continue on this basis with further schemes being progressed on corridors in the south east, south west and north city areas over the coming years.

In the case of the Cork county metropolitan area, the regional cities investment programme will continue to be focused on the Douglas area based on the recommendations of the Douglas land use and transportation study. The principal objectives of that study are to reduce congestion, improve local connectivity by sustainable transport modes and improve the performance of the many bus services operating through the area. The aim is to complement the transport investment in the city centre and strategic corridors.

The Senator will be aware that a mid-term review of the capital plan is currently under way. I will be seeking to significantly improve the funding available for public transport over the remaining years of the plan to meet increasing demand, to tackle congestion in the greater Dublin area and our regional cities, including Cork in particular, as well as to help to deliver on meeting our climate obligations by reducing emissions from the transport sector.