Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his very important question. As he knows, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, such as the Athy southern distributor road, is the statutory responsibility of Kildare County Council, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the council's own resources supplemented by State road grants.

The capital plan 2016-2021 provides that a number of schemes, including the Athy southern distributor road, targeting bottlenecks in the road network will be progressed subject to necessary approvals. In this context the project has to meet the requirements of the public spending code and my Department's common appraisal framework for transport projects as well has obtaining planning approval. It is a matter for Kildare County Council to progress the scheme through the approval process.

The council has been liaising with my Department on the preliminary business case for the project and further contact is planned in the lead-up to the submission of the detailed business case and cost-benefit analysis to this Department, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Once the project appraisal process is completed and clearance is given to proceed, the next stage is submission of the project environmental impact assessment and compulsory purchase order to An Bord Pleanála for approval. Once An Bord Pleanála approval is obtained the project can proceed to construction.

Ultimately, there are two factors influencing the timing of this project, namely, the time required to complete the project appraisal and planning approval process and the need to manage annual budgets in the capital plan, which means that projects have to be phased. This is also subject to the outcome of the mid-term capital review which will soon commence.

See this speech in context