Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 217: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding available from him for park and ride facilities; the grants available to persons who wish to set up a park and ride facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14654/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Following the establishment of the National Transport Authority (NTA) in December 2009, responsibility for the delivery of public transport infrastructure, including the provision of park & ride facilities in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) is a matter for the NTA. I have therefore referred the Deputy's question, insofar as the GDA is concerned, to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

My Department has no scheme in place to fund privately developed and operated park & ride facilities. However, funding is provided to relevant local authorities in an ongoing programme of Bus Priority Measures (Green Routes) and Park & Ride facilities in the four regional cities of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Since 2006 the four cities have received funding totalling €55 million, of which approximately €2 million was in respect of park & ride facilities. In line with the general reduction in capital funding, the outgoing government cut the overall budget for the regional bus priority/park & ride programme from €14m in 2010 to €5.5m in 2011. Given the limited availability of funding for this and other capital programmes, I consider the further roll-out of bus priority improvements in each city should be afforded a higher degree of priority than the development of park & ride facilities. Indeed in certain cases the development of park & ride facilities would be premature pending further improvement in bus priority measures.