Mr. Ray O'Leary:

The committee has raised a wide range of issues. In general, I will leave it to my colleagues in Transport Infrastructure Ireland to address questions about specific national routes and some of the policies of TII. I will try to address the questions that relate to regional and local roads and perhaps some of the more general operational policies that apply.

Deputy Fitzpatrick raised the Narrow Water bridge. As noted in my opening statement, the two relevant Departments continue to engage with each other to develop options for the development of the project and are also engaging very closely with local stakeholders, North and South.

Following the last meeting with the local stakeholders it was agreed that the two Departments would develop criteria to assess the options that might be available. The Deputy will be aware that a specific option was developed previously. However, when it went to tender it was found that the cost was significantly in excess of the funding available at the time. The important point is to produce options aimed at addressing the priorities of local communities in terms of developing tourism and some of the specific traffic-related issues around Newry. We hope to come back to the local stakeholders in the new year with criteria that could be used to evaluate the various options.

Deputy Munster raised the question of the Narrow Water Bridge. There is a wider funding issue. The principal challenge continues to be the fiscal constraints faced by the Government and the many competing resources. The work of the Department in preparing the strategic framework on investment was critical to providing an evidence base for putting the case for increased investment. A number of Deputies and Senators have made points about the value of maintaining the asset base we have. It has been the experience globally that many countries which would be perceived as having gold-standard infrastructure have not continued to invest in its maintenance and now face significant challenges and competitive disadvantages because of this. One of the questions raised related to the priorities in terms of national, regional and local roads. Our priority is to get back to a position, as early as possible, in the capital plan whereby we do not face a deteriorating national infrastructure with the associated implications for national competitiveness, regional development and safety. It is critical to maintain the asset base we have and then to add some of the key or critical links that I referred to in the capital plan. They will serve similar objectives.

Sometimes I suffer from being unable to read my own handwriting. Can you remind me if I have forgotten anything, Chairman?