Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 82 together.

I have a rather long answer for the Deputy, but I will amalgamate the two questions. Forgive me if I take a few minutes to do it. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in regard to the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

In accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant local authority. Works on those roads are funded from the local authorities' own resources, supplemented by State road grants.  The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

The transport element of the capital plan sets out investment priorities to 2022 and was framed by the conclusions reached in my Department’s strategic investment framework for land transport. Based on the findings in that report it is envisaged that maintenance and renewal of the road network will continue to be the main priority over the next period and the bulk of the roads capital budget, approximately €4.4 billion, is earmarked for such essential work.  A further €600 million has been allocated for implementation of the PPP road programme which is already under way and the balance for the limited number of road improvement projects included in the plan.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has indicated that there is a total of €2.6 billion in additional funding available between 2018 and 2021 for allocation under the review of the capital plan.  While I am conscious of the many competing demands for extra resources, my Department has submitted a very strong case for additional funding consistent with the principles identified and a number of the proposed measures, if approved for funding, will be of benefit to the Border counties.  I understand that departmental submissions will be published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

I will list a few of the roads in the Border region where the capital plan provides for significant investment in transport links impacting on the wider Border region. These include the N4 Collooney-Castlebaldwin section of the Dublin-Sligo route, the two rolling schemes from Dungloe to Glenties and Inver to Mountcharles on the N56 - strengthening regional links in Donegal - and the N2 Slane bypass, subject to planning, on the Dublin-Monaghan route. The capital plan also restates the Government commitment to €75 million over three years to the development of the A5 in Northern Ireland.

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