Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I believe in building sustainable communities and part of this is sustainable transport. I acknowledge that in my area the DART+ west consultation is under way at present. We have had BusConnects, the Royal Canal greenway consultation and the Phoenix Park transport strategy consultation. We have secured significant investment under the safe routes to school programme. There is forthcoming consultation on a canal loop between the Grand Canal and the Royal Canal. A dizzying number of projects are also under consideration by Fingal County Council in terms of strategic infrastructure and active travel. There is a huge amount going on. Of course we know these are plans. With regard to active travel particularly, these are all plans but none has been confirmed or is going to construction stage. We really need to have a debate and a discussion with the Minister on all of the projects that could be going ahead and the ones that will not be going ahead. I found out a project was not going ahead in my area involving the first part of the Royal Canal from Westmanstown on the Kildare border to Clonsilla. It was going to be started but it was decided not to go ahead with it. It worries people when they do not see progression. We have seen the Hartstown cycle route and a segregated cycle way into my local park, St. Catherine's Park. This was the subject of my first motion as a councillor. A huge number of plans are being discussed but people do not know what is going ahead in terms of active transport. Coupled with everything that is going ahead with national consultations, we need to bring in the Ministers and have discussions on our areas and what is happening with major transport infrastructure and active transport.