Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is very welcome investment in main street upgrades. It is active travel spend really. I can see it in my county where there is significant investment in roads infrastructure, in line with plans. There is always an issue about whether a road is too narrow and about the upheaval during the works period. Some of this upheaval has gone on for an extended period. I can point to individual projects in my county where, for whatever reason, and it will come out in the wash, projects due to last a year are running into two years. This is a source of frustration. It is important there is good governance and oversight of individual projects. My additional concern is that it then has an impact on other projects in neighbouring areas. The bad experience in town X has a contagion effect. It increases resistance and opposition to what should be good stories about investment and improvements in transport plans. This is a broad point and I do not know whether the Minister is aware of it or concerned about it.