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

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding for the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The assessment and prioritisation of individual national road projects within its overall capital budget is also a matter for TII.

Due to the national financial position, there have been very large reductions in expenditure on roads in recent years. Funding in 2008 was €2.3 billion while funding this year is around €764 million for the national, regional and local road network. The reality is that available funds have fallen well short of the amount of work that could be undertaken.

The Government will publish its new capital plan shortly. This plan will take into account the maintenance and strengthening needs of our road network to ensure it is fit for purpose. I am well aware of the importance of the project to which the Deputy has referred and the contribution it could and would make to economic development in his community and his county, as well as the scale of potential job creation, as it would have a very significant knock-on effect elsewhere. Those points and the Deputy's support for the project are well recognised in the work I am doing at the moment.

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