Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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108. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to review the roads network that link the areas between the M4 and N7/M7 in north County Kildare; his plans to improve this network of roads in view of the high level of use by HGVs; and if he has engaged with the Minster for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and TII in the context of the increasing level of residential planning permissions and builds underway in areas such as Clane, Straffan, Maynooth and Celbridge, County Kildare. [28862/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of public roads, in conjunction with TII in the case of national roads, under the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993.

As regards broader policy decisions the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure and services in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and the making of a transport strategy for the region is a core function of the NTA.

The Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035, which was adopted in 2016, sets out a statutory framework for transport investment across the region over a 20 year period and provides a clear statement of transport planning policy for the GDA.

I very much support the development of evidence-led transport strategies for the major cities. We need to ensure a holistic, multi-modal approach toward transport planning and provision and, importantly, we need to see finalised transport strategies integrated into relevant land-use plans and acting as a catalyst for the adoption by local authorities of a much more sustainable approach toward the location of housing, employment and other centres of transport demand.

In accordance with the applicable legislation, the Transport Strategy for the GDA is required to be reviewed every six years, meaning that a review must be completed by early 2022. The NTA has commenced this exercise and it is expected to be fully concluded during the next 12 months. The review will consider current and future needs of the region, and the appropriate transport provision to serve future travel demand throughout the GDA.

My Department is working collaboratively with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to strengthen the policy links between land use planning and transport planning taking into account the national strategic outcomes of the National Planning Framework.

It should be noted that any future significant national, regional or local road improvement projects will fall to be considered in the context of both the revised GDA Transport Strategy and the outcome of the NDP review.