John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Transport the level of take-up of park and ride funding by local authorities; if he is satisfied with the pace of the development of such facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35827/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am making capital funding available to local authorities under Transport 21 for park and ride facilities in the Greater Dublin Area, and also in the Regional Cities. It is a central aim of my Department that we want to attract as many people as possible out of their cars and onto public transport.

In 2005, I 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). Each of the regional cities also has land use or transport strategies in place. It is a matter for the local authorities to prioritise the most suitable locations for park and ride, and to apply to my Department for funding for the capital cost of appropriate park and ride facilities. The procedure for allocation of funding to specific projects is that my Department will consider applications by public bodies on a first-come, first served basis. These applications will be evaluated according to their business cases, and against the strategic value they offer, as assessed against the DTO strategy in the case of the GDA, and against the relevant land use or transport plans in the case of the regional cities.

I am anxious to see a strong commitment by local authorities to the development of park and ride facilities and my Department is inviting applications from local authorities. I understand that several authorities are considering possible sites.