The Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan T.D. and Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton T.D. have announced details of a €35 billion investment package for our transport system – as part of the Government’s revised National Development Plan (NDP).

The Plan will transform how we travel, connect us to our communities and help us halve our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

500,000 extra daily walking, cycling and public transport journeys will be delivered by 2030, making it easier for people to travel in a sustainable way. €360 million a year will support 1,000 km of new and improved walking and cycling infrastructure by 2025, as well as additional investment in greenways – the largest ever investment in active travel infrastructure.

BusConnects, including segregated cycleways, will be rolled out in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford while international connectivity will be supported through investment in ports and airports.

Increased investment in the inter-urban and regional rail network will improve journey times, enhance reliability and maintain safety across the system. MetroLink and Dart+ in Dublin will be progressed to construction.

Complementing public transport infrastructure investment, Connecting Ireland will deliver a dynamic approach to public transport in rural and regional areas, expanding local bus services and connecting rural communities with their key towns and regional growth centres.

As well as the protection and renewal of the network (100,000 km), major urban and regional roads projects will be progressed to delivery including the M50 Traffic Control Project and bypasses of Moycullen and Listowel. Other vital projects will be progressed including the N20/M20 corridor. Almost 1 million electric cars, supported by additional infrastructure, will be travelling on our roads by 2030.

Attending the launch of the NDP in Cork Minister Ryan said, “this is a National Development Plan for a cleaner, greener, connected Ireland, a plan that supports communities and our climate goal – to cut emissions in half by 2030. We’re making the biggest investment in transport in the history of the state – 35 billion over the decade – which will transform how we travel.”

“This revised Plan re-orientates our investment toward greener, cleaner and more accessible transport. It means that for every euro we invest in new road infrastructure we’re investing twice as much in new public transport. In addition, we’re investing €360 million per year in walking and cycling infrastructure”.

“This record investment will deliver a transport system which improves our quality of life and provides us with greater choices to travel more efficiently and sustainably – be it by footpath, cycleway, road or rail, keeping us connected to our families, our workplaces and our communities. This will be a decade of change.”

Minister Naughton added, “the revised NDP is about connecting people and businesses. Our road network is a vital part of that, particularly across rural Ireland. The NDP will result is a comprehensive and connected road network, linking all the regions of the country. These projects will be delivered progressively and deliver benefits steadily over the next decade”.

“We will also be focusing our investment on international connectivity and remain determined to build back better and stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic”.