Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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123. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide the average time required to complete environmental assessment processes, including Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment, for major transport infrastructure projects commenced in each of the past five years; and to detail any reforms underway to reduce delays in these assessment stages. [66545/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Environmental assessments, both legislative and otherwise, in the transport sector are generally carried out by the two main delivery agencies under the Department's aegis, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Authority. As part of the Transport Appraisal Framework, the Department checks that any necessary assessments have been completed in order for it to approve a major project.

In order to provide information on this matter, I have referred the Deputies question to the NTA and to TII and will request that they provide any relevant information available on projects exceeding €200m total cost, and the environmental assessment processes associated with projects of that size. I would ask that the Deputy please contact me if no response is received within 10 working days.

With regard to the request to detail reforms to this process, environmental assessments are required on any such project in line with the SEA Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC) and various implementing legislation in Ireland.

While not responsible for reform with regard to the actual legislative requirements set out above, my Department consistently seeks to streamline the processes and manage the timelines for delivery of its projects, including the use where possible of standardised development processes, approvals processes and procurement of services for individual aspects of projects, including legislative environmental assessment requirements.