Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We are going to continue to invest in roads and there is a significant budget in repair and maintenance of existing roads and new roads. Without prejudging what TII's perspective on it is, the likes of the Slane bypass, which does meet that NSO objective of supporting compact development and dealing with traffic in the centre of a very historic village, fits in with what the NDP is saying, which is that we prioritise bypasses. There is an issue with cost. There is a significant new bridge across the Boyne. The project is probably in the region of €100 million plus or minus. One would look at other measures that would allow one to restrict traffic. This relatively short corridor includes the N1, N2 and N3, all of which are within 30 to 50 km of each other. It seems to me that the likes of the Slane bypass does meet the strategic objective of compact growth so I look forward to what TII says in that regard. It has been a long time in planning.

Regarding the route from Kilmoon Cross to the Rath roundabout, I appeared before this committee in the previous Dáil in the early stages of it. One of the questions I asked was why we were widening all the approach roads to Dublin where we know it is coming to a congestion problem. What we will have to do in Dublin in terms of BusConnects poses questions for the traffic on the M50, which is already at full capacity. Where will this traffic go? I understand people stuck in traffic in the morning on approach roads to the M50 but at a certain point, we must ask why we are widening all the approach roads to Dublin. Where will the traffic go?