Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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616. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is satisfied that a major public consultation on the future of public transport on the north side of Dublin, the North Dublin Transport Study, was held over the Christmas and new year period without direct contact with the residents affected, their residents associations or public representatives; if he will ensure that the deadline for submissions is extended and that such key parties are directly invited to make a submission. [2790/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the implementation and development of infrastructure projects in the GDA.  Under this remit the NTA last year commissioned the Fingal/North Dublin Transport Studyto examine all existing proposals (heavy rail, metro, Luas extensions) as well as other options for a rail-based transport solution to meet the needs of the Swords/Dublin Airport to City Centre corridor in the long term.

Together with the NTA I announced the results of the first stage of the process at a press conference  on 8th December last and launched the consultation process. This  was widely reported. A short-list of six project options for further design development and more detailed evaluation were proposed. Details of the twenty five options, and the six short-listed options have been published and are available on the NTA’s website .

The  non-statutory public consultation process commenced on 8 December 2014 and concluded on 19 January 2015.  An advertisement was placed by the NTA in the Irish Independent on the 16th December inviting members of the public to review the material available on the NTA’s website in relation to the study and the 6 short-listed options and to submit views and opinions by 19th January.

I issued a further press release last Friday reminding interested parties of the public of the consultation deadline.

While I do not intend to ask the NTA to extend the deadline, I understand they will accept submissions for a further two weeks.  Further consultation opportunities will take place as the work progresses on the preferred option over the year, either as a stand-alone consultation or as part of a wider draft Greater Dublin Area Strategy which the NTA proposes to also progress this year.