Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 243: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has received proposals for park and ride facilities under Transport 21; and the details of same. [36874/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As I have made clear in the past, funding is being made available under Transport 21 for the development of park and ride facilities, which are an important component in persuading people to transfer from private cars to public transport. All new station developments on the Iarnród Éireann commuter networks are designed to include car-park facilities. This is the case, for example, in respect of new stations on the Kildare line being developed as part of the Kildare Route Project and in Cork as part of the Cork Commuter Services Project.

Iarnród Éireann have also been extending car parking facilities at all locations where the company has land available. Parking extensions are currently under way at Mallow, Ennis, and Leixlip Louisa Bridge. My Department is currently funding, as part of Transport 21, a study by Iarnród Éireann into the prioritisation of car-park initiatives across the rail network, with a view to developing a strategic, programmed approach to the future provision of car park facilities. This study will inform the development of car parking facilities under Transport 21. There are currently four Park and Ride sites along the existing Luas network at Red Cow, Sandyford, Stillorgan and Ballally. The RPA propose to open a new park and ride facility adjacent to the Luas Tallaght stop within the next two years with a similar mode of transfer and an anticipated capacity of 450 spaces.

Metro North, the preferred route for which was announced last month, will have two park and ride sites providing parking for over 2,000 cars. One will be located at Lissenhall, north of Swords, and a second at Metro Park, between the Airport and the M50. The Luas extension from Sandyford to Cherrywood, for which I granted a Railway Order during the summer, will have a park and ride site at Carrickmines providing 300 spaces. I also expect that there will be a significant park and ride located at the junction of the N11 and the Luas extension from Cherrywood to the Bray area. The potential routes for this extension are the subject of an ongoing public consultation process by the RPA. I understand that there will also be substantial additional park and ride facilities at key locations along the route of Metro West where it meets national primary routes such as the N2, N3 and N4.

I am also making funding available to the local authorities under Transport 21 for bus park and ride. To date this year, I have received no applications from local authorities for the development of park and ride facilities but I understand that several authorities are considering possible sites.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for Transport if Dublin Bus have advised him of the areas where the additional 100 buses are to be deployed; and if so, the locations of same. [36878/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The deployment of their fleet of buses is a day-to-day operational matter for Dublin Bus and not one in which I have any role.