Written answers

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Transport Infrastructure Provision

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1118. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which his Department continues to evaluate the transport system, road and rail, public and private, to ensure the development of efficient and effective transport in all areas throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25671/18]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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My Department continually monitors and evaluates the transport system. The National Transport Authority, in the case of Public Transport, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, in the case of national roads, collect and publish key performance indicators. These are used by the Department to inform policy and spending decisions. My Department produces an annual publication,"Transport Trends",which pulls together key data on the transport system from a variety of sources, and provides a very useful overview of the effectiveness and efficiency of the system.

Under the provisions of the Public Spending Code, all Exchequer spending proposals require a Business Case, which includes Financial and Economic Ex-Ante Evaluations, or Appraisals, of the proposal. The level of detail required is dependent on the level of expenditure required. This system ensures that any Exchequer funding on transport delivers value for money for the taxpayer. To assist in this process for the transport sector, my Department has developed a Common Appraisal Framework for Transport Projects which is regularly updated, and operates in conjunction with the Public Spending Code, providing detailed guidance on how to appraise the value for money of a proposed project, for submission to my Department and the Department of PER.

My Department also evaluates ongoing or completed projects and programmes. Recent evaluations published by my Department include a 2015 Focused Policy Assessment of the Green Schools Programme, a 2015 Value for Money and Policy Assessment of the National Roads Maintenance Programme, and a 2017 Value for Money and Policy Assessment of the Driver Testing Service. Each of these evaluations provided useful recommendations on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these programmes.

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