Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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100. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the last urban design road manual for urban roads and streets was issued; whether there are any plans to update; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27951/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) was jointly launched by the then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Housing and Planning in 2013. A revision to DMURS, which was issued in August 2019, was overseen by a Steering Committee that included representatives from Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG), Department of Transport (DoT), National Transport Authority NTA , Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), National Disability Authority (NDA) and professional stakeholders.

A number of individual meetings were also held with and further correspondence received from the NDA prior to the issue of the revised document. Based on these interactions with the NDA several amendments were made to DMURS with regard to the use of materials, kerb heights, use of zebra crossings and references to ‘Building for Everyone, A Universal Design Approach’ published by the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Councils' own resources supplemented by State road grants

Arising from the arrangements in place in relation to Local Property Tax receipts, the four Dublin Councils are self-funding for regional and local roads under the main road grant categories. Accordingly, these Councils do not feature in most of the grant programmes but are eligible for certain grants such as the training, speed limit signage and road condition survey grants and may apply for monies under the Strategic Grant programme.

It is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that DMURS is applied in the design of all urban road schemes, while the Department of Transport have an oversight role on projects part or fully funded by the Department of Transport.

With regard to future reviews and updates, DMURS has always been viewed as a ‘live’ document, and the website (www.dmurs.ie) was developed to provide an accessible resource for all updates and supplementary material (including advice notes) along with links to key publications and case study material. In this context a working group, consisting of staff from various local authorities together with both Departments, which was formed in 2010 to produce DMURS still meet periodically and has prepared a number of training courses, updates to the document and other supplementary material. The latest updates were issued in July 2023 and referred to Urban Drainage and Junction Tightening, details may be found at www.dmurs.ie/supplementary-material.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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101. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware that local authorities such as South Dublin County Council are installing tighter junctions (details supplied); to outline whether the process for ascertaining the average width of a vehicle could be upgraded to current car sizes; to recommend that agencies under his remit specify that site meetings need to be held if requested when such narrowings are being installed, rather than having to wait four or five months for an external audit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27952/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Councils' own resources supplemented by State road grants.

Arising from the arrangements in place in relation to Local Property Tax receipts, the four Dublin Councils are self-funding for regional and local roads under the main road grant categories. Accordingly, these Councils do not feature in most of the grant programmes but are eligible for certain grants such as the training, speed limit signage and road condition survey grants and may apply for monies under the Strategic Grant programme.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for the overall policy and funding of Active Travel infrastructure. The allocation of this funding to the various local authorities falls to the National Transport Authority (NTA) who are responsible for overseeing the delivery of both new projects and upgrading of existing infrastructure.

The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) addresses street designs within urban areas and ensures that the street design considers the type of place in which the street is located while balancing the needs of all users. DMURS aims to put well designed streets at the heart of sustainable communities in order to create connected physical, social and transport networks that promote alternatives to car journeys. As such, DMURS should also be considered in line with other guidelines such as the Cycle Design Manual.

DMURS also recommends that a Quality Audit be undertaken on the design of all streets where DMURS is applicable. The purpose of the audit is to demonstrate that appropriate consideration has been given to all the relevant aspects of the design, including visual quality, how the street may be used by the community, road safety, access, walking, cycle, non-motorised user, community street and place checks. The extent of the audit will vary on the scale and the scope of the given project.

It is the responsibility of the local authority or the NTA to ensure that the principles of DMURS are applied in the design of urban road schemes. Noting the role of the NTA in the matter, I have referred your question to that agency for a more detailed answer. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.