Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department and the Department of Transport (DoT) jointly established a working group in December 2021 under ‘Housing for All’ to consider opportunities for Transport Orientated Development (TOD) in major urban centres. The group comprises membership from my Department, DoT, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the Land Development Agency (LDA).

Transport Orientated Development (TOD) seeks to maximise the provision of housing, employment, public services and leisure space in close proximity to high quality transport services, including BusConnects, DART, Luas and MetroLink in Dublin.

The first report from this Working Group, which looked at Transport Oriented Development Opportunities in Dublin, was published on the 23 of June 2023 and can be found on my Department’s website: www.gov.ie/en/publication/0b532-opportunities-for-transport-orientated-development-tod-in-major-urban-centres-dublin-study/.

The TOD Working Group, which undertook the study, are now focussing on TOD opportunities in the Eastern Region (outside the four Dublin local authorities) and in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford in 2023. It is intended that when this assessment process is concluded, a similar report to that published in respect of the four Dublin authorities will be published.

The outputs from this work will also help to inform Government policy and initiatives in support of the National Strategic Outcomes of the National Planning Framework, in particular outcomes relating to Compact Growth, Sustainable Mobility and Transition to a Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Society.

This will include consideration of legislative and policy provisions, institutional arrangements, capacity-building measures and funding and resources required to facilitate the delivery of such plan-led development in a timely manner.

Engagement with local authorities, the LDA, the NTA and infrastructure providers, such as Uisce Éireann, will also continue in order to identify further opportunities and to accelerate TOD delivery.