Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Transport the process which his Department is engaging in to establish the ten-year transport investment plan proposed in budget 2005; the analysis which has been undertaken to help prioritise projects; and the planning guidelines which are being used to provide a background to the investment decisions that are being made. [5091/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In his recent Budget Statement, the Minister for Finance agreed in principle that an extended ten-year capital envelope was appropriate in the case of investment in transport. This reflects the reality of the long lead-in times required for design and planning, as well as the substantial construction periods required for major capital projects in the transport sector. It also provides clear and concrete evidence of the Government's determination to provide our First World economy with a first rate transport system.

The ten-year transport investment framework will identify the investment and outline the measures that I believe are required in order to further develop all elements of national transport infrastructure, addressing existing bottlenecks and capacity constraints, enhancing quality, optimising the use of the network and making prudent advance provision for future economic growth. It is not possible to outline the specifics of the draft plan pending its consideration by the Cabinet infrastructure committee and by the Cabinet itself.

The ten-year framework will take account of the substantial changes over the past 15 years or so. We have seen large increases in our population, wealth and employment. Economic growth has led to huge increases in the amount of goods being transported, as well as strong growth in car ownership levels, increased travel demand and increases in the numbers of people and goods passing through our airports and ports.

The ten-year framework will also take account of the linkages between transport and land use and spatial planning so that we can develop a transport system that contributes to sustainable development in all its dimensions: economic, social and environmental. The plan will be fully informed by and will support the policies set out in the national spatial strategy. It will also take account of the regional planning guidelines adopted during 2004 and will be informed by and support a number of regional land use and transportation strategies for the cities, such as the Dublin Transportation Office's long-term strategy, A Platform for Change, and the Cork Area Strategic Plan. I am also considering whether the development of this draft framework will fall within the scope of the strategic environmental assessment directive.

My officials have been engaging with CIE, the Railway Procurement Agency, the National Roads Authority and the Dublin Transportation Office and the expertise and inputs of these agencies have been significant in helping to identify broad lines and priorities for programmes to be undertaken under the auspices of the new framework. The current five-year investment envelope for transport investment is €10.2 billion over the 2005-09 period. The precise financial parameters for the period to 2014 will be subject to final agreement with the Minister for Finance and the Government. Details of the draft plan are being finalised and I will bring it to the Cabinet infrastructure committee early next month.