Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

The Deputy's question relates to the roads funding to be allocated to County Wexford in the next three years. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding under the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of national primary and national secondary roads are matters for the National Roads Authority, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The assessment and prioritisation of individual projects are matters in the first instance for the NRA, working within its capital budget, in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act 1993.

As the Deputy is aware, the national recovery plan published by the previous Government in November 2010 envisaged that investment in the road network would be significantly reduced for the duration of the plan. Therefore, the scope for proceeding with significant projects is very limited. The capital investment review under way across all sectors will form the basis of a new national development plan for the period between 2012 and 2016. The plan is scheduled to be published in September. The review will examine the costs and benefits of capital projects against a range of economic, social and environmental criteria. Among the key considerations in the transport sector will be the need to continue remedial safety measures. When the funding framework for capital expenditure has been determined, it will be a matter for the NRA to prioritise projects within its funding envelope. Therefore, I am not in a position to provide the specific detail sought by the Deputy.

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