Chairman:

In correspondence with the committee's staff, the Department stated that it is in discussions with Transport Infrastructure Ireland about how best to express performance indicators for national roads. Would the departmental officials be willing to involve Oireachtas officials in discussions to the extent that the measures selected include ones that will assist us as parliamentarians in assessing performance?

My second question concerns some of the projects on the capital plan. The Ballvourney-Macroom N22 road has not been mentioned, but it is an especially important piece of infrastructure for the entire south west. I see no reason that road cannot go to tender in 2017 if the political will was there to prioritise it. Will that road be prioritised and, if so, will funding be sought to send it to tender in 2017?