Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Transport Policy

Photo of Pat CaseyPat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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51. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the adoption of the transport strategy for the greater Dublin area national 2016 to 2035 in April 2016 and the implications this will have for his Department in a number of areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11544/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A specific requirement in relation to the preparation of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area is that it has regard to the National Spatial Strategy (NSS), Regional Plans and County Development Plans and this indeed has been the case in the preparation of the 2016-2035 Strategy. In fact, Chapter 2 and Page 16 in particular of the adopted GDA Transport Strategy, clearly set out where the strategy fits into an integrated spatial and transport planning hierarchy at national, regional and local levels. In addition, the GDA Transport Strategy will be a factor in the preparation of the National Planning Framework (NPF) as the successor to the NSS and subsequent Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs).

The suggestion that the Strategy will impact adversely on job creation in Wicklow and the GDA is unsubstantiated. Based on projected growth in population and employment, the Transport strategy identifies the East Wicklow M11 corridor as the most significantly growing part of the Region in terms of travel demand, outside the Dublin Docklands area and M4 corridor, much closer to Dublin City.

It is critical that the Dublin City Region has a long term transport plan in place to guide and inform future strategy and investment decisions and to ensure that bottlenecks can be addressed before they become seriously damaging to the economy of the region and the country as a whole. The ambition of and potential for growth in Wicklow can be best realised in the context of such a Regional strategy, through local implementation plans.

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