139. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Transport if his Department are considering creating a congestion management plan for Dublin to counteract the negative impacts of traffic congestion. [66604/26]

142. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the work of his Department in managing and reducing traffic congestion across Dublin. [66599/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 142 together.

As Minister for Transport and a TD representing a Dublin constituency, I am fully aware that Dublin faces particular challenges with traffic congestion, which is having an impact on the city's economy, environment and, as importantly, on the quality of life of our citizens and visitors. As Dublin is our national capital, the congestion challenges in the city also present a significant cost for the national economy.

A study published by my Department in 2023 estimated that the economic cost of congestion in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) in 2022 was €336m.  Without action taken to mitigate, the study projects that these costs could rise to circa €1.5bn by 2040.

Addressing congestion in the Dublin area requires a multifaceted approach across a wide variety of stakeholders. In March of this year, I convened a round table discussion with representatives from a number of organisations to explore practical solutions to addressing congestion in the Greater Dublin Area. Working together, the stakeholders identified a range of actions that can be implemented in the short and medium term to help reduce congestion.

The Congestion Action Plan, which is currently being finalised, aims to alleviate short and medium pressures on the transport system, including on the M50, through collaboration with transport agencies, operators and local authorities, to deliver impactful measures to reduce congestion. The Plan represents a strong collective effort to identify impactful measures across the board, with lead owners in agreement on the approach required.

In the medium to long term, the investments set out in the Sustainable Mobility Policy will have a significant impact in improving transport capacity, while the Moving Together Strategy provides a framework for managing transport demand and improving the efficiency of the transport system. Both these policies are evidence of a collaborative approach to both policy formulation and implementation.

While the initial focus of the Congestion Plan is on the GDA, the intention is that many of the measures can be replicated if successful across other metropolitan areas nationally.