“Cathaoirleach, Committee members,
Thank you for the invitation to appear before the Committee today. I understand that the Committee wishes to discuss “National Roads, Light Rail and Metro”. To assist me in dealing with questions that may arise during the session, I am joined by Eoin Gillard, Assistant Director – Transport Investment.
As the Committee will be aware, while the NTA has some involvement in national roads through the regional transport strategies that we prepare, our main area of responsibility relates to public transport.
Within the Greater Dublin Area, the NTA has the function, under the applicable legislation, to “secure the provision of, or to provide, public transport infrastructure”. The legislation goes on to state that the NTA shall “as far as possible, arrange that the functions …. be performed on its behalf in relation to …. metro or light railway infrastructure” by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), while retaining the right to undertake the function itself where the NTA considers it “more convenient, more expeditious, more effective or more economical”.
Within this remit, the NTA works on a collaborative basis with TII to advance a number of light rail projects and the MetroLink project. In terms of alignment with the Infrastructure Guidelines, the NTA acts as the Approving Authority on light rail and metro schemes and provides oversight and funding (through the Department of Transport) for these projects.
The metropolitan area transport strategies that are now in place for Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, provide the strategic planning foundation for all urban rail projects, and, in the case of Dublin, the statutory basis for the development of individual rail-based projects. The Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042 is the statutory transport strategy for the region, providing for the implementation of the MetroLink project and including for the ultimate development of twelve new or extended Luas lines in the Dublin region.
In the case of Cork, the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy sets out the intent to deliver a light rail line from Ballincollig to the west of the city to Mahon in the east. In Galway, a feasibility study has been undertaken in relation to the potential of a Luas line through the city, and it is intended to take account of that feasibility study in the next update of the Galway Transport Strategy, which the NTA intends to undertake shortly.
In relation to MetroLink, the approval of the scheme by An Coimisiún Pleanála at the start of last month is welcome, as is the strong commitment by the Government to its delivery, in particular under the National Development Plan Review published some months ago. While there is still an immense amount of work to be done, this approval allows the project to progress into the procurement stages and on to construction.
This concludes my opening remarks, and I welcome any questions that members of the Committee may have.”
by Hugh Creegan, NTA Chief Executive (Interim) & Director of Transport Planning & Investment