Climate Adaptation Plan (summary of Chapter 6)

Having identified the key climate risks to Ireland’s transport system, T-SAP II sets out a targeted Adaptation Action Plan. This plan outlines how government, agencies and operators can respond to those risks and build long-term resilience into the way we plan, design, maintain and operate transport infrastructure.

The action plan translates risk into response. It sets out 39 specific actions that have been developed in consultation with transport stakeholders. The actions aim to reduce disruption, protect transport assets, and help Ireland’s transport system continue serving communities and businesses.

Each action is practical, focused, and aligned with the plan’s overall goal: to enable Ireland’s transport network to withstand, adapt to, and recover from climate impacts.

The actions are grouped into five key themes:

1. Legislative, regulatory & policy change - updating guidance, standards, and planning rules to embed climate resilience into decisions
2. Nature-based solutions - using green infrastructure (e.g. sustainable urban drainage systems, attenuation ponds, woodland) to manage risks through natural ecosystems
3. Behaviour/ organisational change - improving collaboration across agencies, building internal capacity and raising awareness
4. Technical solutions - delivering infrastructure improvements, smarter asset management, and risk monitoring systems
5. Adaptation financing: tracking, costing, budgeting - developing better ways to fund, track, and evaluate resilience-building efforts

Many actions in the plan require coordination across sectors. For example, resilient transport depends on reliable energy, communications and emergency response systems. T-SAP II encourages joined-up action and knowledge sharing to make adaptation more effective across Ireland’s wider critical infrastructure.

The plan includes actions tailored to each transport mode:

• roads (national, regional, urban and local) – used by private cars, lorries buses and emergency services
• active travel – walking and cycling routes, footpaths, greenways and pedestrian crossings
• buses – urban, regional and rural bus services, along with associated infrastructure such as stops and shelters
• heavy rail – long-distance and commuter rail lines that also support the movement of freight
• light rail – such as the Luas in Dublin
• aviation – airports and supporting infrastructure
• maritime transport–ports and supporting infrastructure supporting the movement of people and goods by sea

It also includes cross-cutting actions that apply across the whole transport system.

Read more in Chapter 6 of the plan