Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The likelihood is that with the old contracts inflation is not above 50% although in some areas it is, but a contractor must wait 30 months. However, the new contracts have only started since 1 January and those contractors can do nothing for two years about inflation because the contracts are time specific.

The committee will follow up automatically. We will write to the Department of Transport, the Office of Public Works, DPER and the respective Ministers. Then we will follow up with pubic hearings on this issue after Easter. The consequences of this issue are so grave for the roll out of the national development plan that this matter requires urgent attention and the collapse of Roadbridge has brought this matter into sharp focus.

I welcome the fact that the Limerick to Cork project has reached a period of specific route selection and TII is currently looking at the options of a tier 1 dual carriageway or motorway along the routes. We wish TII well with that work. Does TII anticipate that its deliberations will be completed by the end of this year?