Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

282 Chapter 11: Environment and Transport How we move. Recent data show that almost three- quarters (74%) of those who participated in the National Household Travel Survey 2022 (NTA, 2023a) reported living within a 15-minute walk of a shop. The majority of those surveyed live within a 15-minute walk of a pub or restaurant (67%), a bus stop (67%), a chemist/pharmacy (60%) or a post office (55%). Half reported living within a 15-minute walk of a doctor’s surgery (50%). The results presented in Table 11.1 demonstrate that the majority of the population is within a 15-minute walk of many major amenities. However, the results highlight that, in rural parts of Ireland, where approximately one-quarter of the population lives, the majority of people are not within a 15 minute walk of any of these amenities. Table 11.1  Proportion (%) of people living within a 15-minute walk of amenities, nationally and by region AMENITY NATIONAL RURAL AREAS DUBLIN CITY AND SUBURBS GREATER DUBLIN AREA CORK, GALWAY, WATERFORD AND LIMERICK LARGE URBAN TOWNS OTHER URBAN DISTRICTS Shop 74 38 97 88 97 92 91 Pub or restaurant 67 37 91 79 82 72 85 Bus stop 67 28 98 87 95 82 77 Chemist or pharmacy 60 16 93 80 90 74 79 Post office 55 23 80 70 75 58 78 Doctor’s surgery 50 14 78 66 74 58 67 Data from the National Household Travel Survey 2022 (NTA, 2023a) in Table 11.2 show the change in transport mode share nationally over the past decade. The results demonstrate that the car is the predominant mode of transport and continues to be used for most trips. Credit: Failte Ireland