David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Transport the funding and expenditure allocated to all four elements of the national disability strategy as per its announcement on 21 September 2004; the amount allocated and expended under each element each year to date; the amount expected to be allocated in 2009 and 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19423/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Transport Access for All, my Department's Sectoral Plan under the Disability Act 2005, sets out a series of policy objectives and targets for accessible public transport across all modes - including air and marine transport, accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. In general, the timescales for the various elements of the Plan are expected to be completed by 2015.

Significant resources for public transport accessibility are being provided under Transport 21, the Government's public transport capital investment framework for the period 2006 - 2015. Accessibility is being built into new public transport infrastructure projects and funding is also being provided to continue the phased retrofit of existing infrastructure.

Transport Access for All promotes the principle of mainstreaming by requiring accessibility to be an integral element of the public transport services. Arising from this, accessibility features are now incorporated into rail rolling stock and buses funded by the Exchequer and into rail stations and bus depots from the design stage and cannot be readily identified and costed. In addition there is expenditure on the retrofitting of public transport projects. The allocation for this year is €20 million. Annual figures for expenditure over the period 2005 - 2008 are reflected in the table: