Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in regard to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Ireland has just under 100,000 km of road in its network and the maintenance and improvement of national, regional and local roads places a substantial financial burden on local authorities and on the Exchequer. The national financial position has meant there have been very large reductions in Exchequer funding for roads over recent years. Funding in 2008 was €2.3 billion while funding this year is around €730 million for the national, regional and local road network.  For this reason it has not been possible to progress a range of worthwhile projects and the main focus has been to continue the maintenance and repair of roads together with a safety focused minor works programme.

Unfortunately, the financial realities are that the budgets proposed for my Department for 2016 and 2017 will continue to be very tight, limiting the scope for progressing additional new projects. I know, however, that it is important to restore capital funding over time for the transport sector to ensure that infrastructure is maintained and renewed to support economic development, but as of now the NRA continues to operate within a very constrained budget.

I appreciate the importance of this project. In the context of the proposed plan for Cork Harbour and Port currently being adjudicated on by An Bord Pleanála, this project is a piece of infrastructure that has a very valuable role to play in responding, in an integrated manner, to the needs of the Deputy's city and county. I appreciate the importance of the project but having regard to the current constraints under which I am operating I am not in a position to give the Deputy the commitment he wants.

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