Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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539. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to his comments on 17 January 2018 regarding the N11, if the impact on housing and specifically the development at old Fassaroe will be included in the upcoming prioritisation of capital investments in roads. [3432/18]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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540. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to his comments on 17 January 2018 regarding the N11, the provisional date for the completion of the prioritisation exercise of infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3433/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 539 and 540 together.

As I indicated to the Deputy during the Topical Issue debate, there are a range of competing demands which have to be evaluated within the overall capital envelope available to my Department and I cannot put a definite time line on the outcome of that evaluation process at this point.  What I can say is that within the Greater Dublin Area, the emphasis needs to be on the integration of transport and planning decisions with a view to developing sustainable transport solutions.  While capacity enhancements are being considered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for the M11/N11 Corridor, my understanding is that these are intended to cater primarily for the strategic function of the route while the National Transport Authority (NTA) has initiated work on a full transport plan for the area.  This will ensure that a broader view is taken of what travel options are needed rather than focus on car dependent travel options which would not be sustainable in the longer term.

In this context the NTA in collaboration with TII, Wicklow County Council (WCC) and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) are in the process of completing the “Bray and Environs Transport Study”.  The purpose of this study, initiated by the NTA, is to supplement the analysis carried out by TII in relation to the roads network in order to provide a full transport plan which would facilitate the land use objectives of Wicklow County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, and provide a long-term strategic planning framework for the development of transport infrastructure and services in the study area.

The study will propose an integrated package of transport measures, aligned with the overall Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2016-2035, that will facilitate significant additional landuse development in the Bray / North Wicklow area.  It includes revisions to the bus system which will be introduced through BusConnects, additional bus infrastructure, park and ride provision, increased DART services to/from Bray, an additional DART station (at Woodbrook), a number of local road changes together with various other interventions.  Longer term measures such as the future extension of Luas to Bray are also included in the proposals of the study.  

Wicklow County Council is currently in the process of preparing and adopting a new local area plan for Bray Municipal District.  It is understood that the Council will, to the extent that can be facilitated by the statutory local area plan timelines, consider the incorporation of the key outcomes of the transport study into the finally adopted local area plan.  It will be a matter for the elected members of the Council to determine what elements will ultimately be incorporated.

I understand that it is the view of the NTA that the inclusion of the transport study proposals in the forthcoming Bray Municipal District Local Area Plan, will provide an integrated approach facilitating substantial additional development in the overall Bray area.