Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 October 2025
323. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Transport for an update on his Department’s development of the new Sustainability Mobility Policy Action Plan for 2026 and 2030, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55482/25]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the National Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP) sets out a strategic framework to 2030 for promoting greater levels of walking, cycling, and public transport, in support of climate, health, and accessibility goals. The SMP was published in 2022 and was accompanied by a SMP Action Plan 2022-2025. A Leadership Group, which oversees the implementation of this Plan, provides annual updates on its progress - these can be found at [https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-transport/publications/national-sustainable-mobility-policy/].
As the existing SMP Action Plan is due to expire at the end of this year, my Department is currently developing a successor Action Plan to cover the period 2026 – 2030, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and the Programme for Government 2025.
I'm happy to report that, from early 2025, extensive stakeholder engagement has taken place to inform the shape of this new Action Plan. Most prominently, a series of National Sustainable Mobility Forum events were held in May. These comprised four events, two in Dublin and Galway and two online, which brought together a wide range of stakeholders including Government Departments, transport agencies, public transport operators, local authorities, shared mobility providers, academia, business, Disabled People’s Organisations, transport advocacy groups, the health sector and Public Participation Networks. The insights gathered were set out in the published report, available at [https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-transport/publications/national-sustainable-mobility-forum-may-2025/], which is playing a central role in shaping the new Action Plan.
Following the recent review of the National Development Plan, my Department is currently preparing a sectoral investment plan for transport, which will outline the key projects to be delivered between 2026 and 2030. To ensure that the next SMP Action Plan is fully aligned with capital investment priorities and broader Government commitments, the timeline for delivery of the Action Plan has been adjusted. It is now intended that a draft SMP Action Plan 2026–2030 will be submitted to the above Leadership Group for consideration at its quarterly meeting in January 2026, with the expectation that the finalised Action Plan will be published shortly thereafter following the approval of Government.
