John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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162. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for further information on the intention to extend the statutory transport planning remit of the National Transport Authority to the metropolitan areas of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34032/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The National Planning Framework, the National Sustainable Mobility Policy and the Climate Action Plan all commit to extend the statutory transport planning remit of the National Transport Authority (NTA) to the metropolitan areas of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. This would provide the NTA with the same statutory powers it currently exercises in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and will require amending the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 (DTA Act).

The Department is currently considering the necessary legislative amendments required to extend the remit of the NTA. Further consideration will be needed on the interplay between central government, local government and the NTA in the context of the extension of the Authority’s remit to the other cities including extending the composition of the NTA Board and the establishment of a National Transport Authority Advisory Council.

As the Deputy is aware local authorities across the country have a fundamentally important role to play in relation to transport and traffic related issues within their statutory areas. All local authorities are the statutory roads authority for their local area and it is local authorities, acting as the sponsoring agencies for projects across all modes of transport, that deliver projects on the ground for their local communities.

The Department is currently working on a Draft General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Dublin Transport authority Act 2008 to extend the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) remit under section 44 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act to enable the NTA to provide public transport infrastructure beyond the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). This amendment has been included on the Summer Legislation Programme for drafting and legal advice has been sought in preparation of the draft Scheme and Memo to go to Government.

This approach will be a first step to enable the NTA to deliver public transport infrastructure in the regional cities. Further consideration will be needed on the wider legislative amendments required to extend the NTA’s transport planning remit including around the composition of the NTA Board and the National Transport Authority Advisory Council for which work in the Department is ongoing.