Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 341: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has actively sought applications from local authorities in relation to applying to his Department for funding for park and ride facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16582/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As I have made clear before, I regard provision of park and ride facilities at appropriate locations as an important element in attracting people onto public transport. In this regard, my Department last Summer approved a Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) strategy for rail-based park and ride facilities, which envisages facilities at 22 locations on the existing and proposed rail network within the Greater Dublin Area (GDA).

In the present year, I have made capital funding of €5 million available for the development of appropriate park and ride projects in the GDA. There will be no revenue support to subsidise operating costs of Park and Ride facilities. My Department will consider applications for this funding by public bodies for specific projects on a first-come, first served basis. They will be evaluated according to their business cases, and against the strategic value they offer, as assessed against the DTO strategy.

Local Authorities and service providers are already well aware of this position.