Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

16. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update regarding the progress of a park-and-ride facility in the Dunkettle area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20679/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In line with the Climate Action Plan 2019, the National Transport Authority established the Park and Ride Development Office in February 2020. The function of the Office is to enable the delivery of park and ride sites by the NTA across the country in collaboration with Local Authorities and transport operators, such as Iarnród Éireann. The Office provides full-time specialist resources for these projects. Plans to expand the park and ride network are set out in the various metropolitan area transport strategies which have been prepared by NTA.

Building on the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy 2040, the Office has commenced the process of developing a park and ride strategy for Cork. Cork has a high proportion of motorised trips that originate outside the city centre, as well as other strategic employment locations that contribute to local congestion, noise and air pollution. The park and ride strategy will set out the vision and objectives for park and ride in Cork and identify the locations for planned investment, for both bus- and rail-based interchange.

To inform this work, demand analysis is being carried out on the main traffic corridors into Cork, including between Dunkettle and the city centre. The Office will also consider how to integrate park and ride with ongoing planned major public transport interventions, including the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme, BusConnects Cork and Cork Light Rail. It is anticipated that the strategy along with implementation timelines will be completed in Q2 2023.

In parallel with this work, detailed site option analysis and feasibility studies are on-going for identified potential locations and are expected to be completed in the coming months.

The plans and timing of the development of a potential site in the Dunkettle area will be aligned with the delivery of other supporting infrastructure, in particular the on-going Dunkettle interchange upgrade and the wider plans for rail in the area set out in the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy.