David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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394. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he plans to engage with private developers in putting in place new railway stations on the rail network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19659/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. In that regard I believe our policy must be to encourage transport-led development along high-capacity public transport corridors, including our commuter rail networks. This type of development can allow for the development of sustainable and well-connected communities where active travel becomes the preferred mode of travel for many localized journeys and good quality public transport is available to facilitate longer journeys into the major urban centres.

I very much welcome the recent development of metropolitan area transport strategies for the five cities and the role these strategies can play in signalling where public transport development will happen over the course of the next twenty years. This type of long-term strategic perspective can assist both public and private entities in formulating their development proposals and aligning with the delivery of an improved transport network.

I would certainly encourage all interested stakeholders to participate fully in the development and/or review of these transport strategies and to engage with the National Transport Authority in relation to any opportunities that might exist for co-operation.