Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister on his appointment and wish him the best in his work. I wish to express my disappointment about the €29 million reduction in the overall budget and the €43 million reduction in the road improvement budget. It is very important that road improvement and maintenance continues, even in difficult times when our public finances are under severe pressure. I appeal to the Minister to carefully monitor expenditure and ensure any savings made are transferred to road improvement and maintenance. I do not want to concentrate on local areas, but I refer to the N52 bypass. Could the Minister examine the position regarding that project?

I urge the Minister to direct that local authorities fully utilise local and community investment schemes. I have received many complaints from constituents and groups which were willing to contribute to the schemes, but find that local authorities are not working with them. This is an urgent matter and I ask the Minister to outline the powers we have to direct local authorities to fully utilise these schemes. There are many 80-20 schemes, and for the past number of years they have been totally neglected. Local authorities are not working closely with group schemes.

I refer to cycle greenways, which are the way forward. It is very important that we try to give everybody something. Those of us in Louth have pushed very hard for a Dundalk-Blackrock-Carlingford cycle route. I would appreciate if the Minister could examine that.

I ask the Minister for clarity on all road projects funded on a joint North-South basis in light of the UK leaving the EU. I refer, in particular, to the A5 in this regard. The Government has committed €75 million towards funding the latter. In light of the UK decision to leave the EU, can the Minister re-evaluate all such projects?