James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 673: To ask the Minister for Transport the measures he has put in place to utilise the benefits of promoting group transport as a means of achieving Ireland's CO2 emissions targets; the importance he places on the contribution that a modal shift to public transport could make in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29607/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I recognise that current trends in travel and transport are unsustainable. The Government's vision is for a sustainable transport system by 2020 and that to achieve this vision, there will need to be a significant modal shift away from the private car towards public transport, cycling and walking. It is my intention to publish, before the end of the year, a Sustainable Travel and Transport Action Plan to achieve the Government's vision.

It is important to make progress towards the required modal shift in advance of the publication of the Sustainable Travel and Transport Action Plan. Accordingly, my Department supports a range of measures in this regard including: Transport 21, which provides for the development of more efficient and integrated transport systems involving, in particular, the enhancement of public transport services by the expansion of the rail and Luas networks and the provision of additional bus capacity; continued subvention of public transport services; a Greenschool's Travel Module aimed at over 260,000 schoolchildren over the next 5 years; the DTO's One Small Step Campaign and as part of that implementation of a workplace travel plan for my Department, and work towards the development of a National Cycling Policy.