Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Transport 21 continues to provide the strategic framework guiding the Government's investment in national roads and public transport up to 2015. However, in the light of the changed economic circumstances, it has been necessary to review NDP investment priorities across all Departments. To facilitate this review and in order to provide the Government with maximum discretion in making decisions on future funding allocations, all Departments in receipt of Exchequer capital funding were asked to ensure that no new contractual commitments, in respect of Exchequer capital investment, were entered into without advance approval from the Department of Finance. It is important to stress that this temporary arrangement only applies to new contracts. It will have no impact on existing contractual commitments involving expenditure for my Department of almost €2 billion in 2009.

The allocation of grants to local authorities for national roads is a matter for the NRA. My Department issued allocations to local authorities in February for regional and local roads. These comprised a total capital allocation of €495 million and a current allocation of €126 million. All existing Estimates provisions are subject to review as part of the preparations for the supplementary budget on 7 April.

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