Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank all three Deputies for raising this very important issue. I am familiar with the arguments they make. They will be aware that I have heard about the issue from many other Deputies but nearly always from the Cork point of view, so it is refreshing to hear the view from Limerick presented by Deputy Collins. I take all their points of view seriously and I hope to be able to address them now.

I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TIl in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act.

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. Given the national financial position, there have been very large reductions in Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure in recent years. For that reason the focus has had to be on maintenance and renewal rather than major new improvement schemes. The proposed upgrade of the N20 was one of a range of proposed road development projects which had to be deferred.

The capital plan published in September 2015 outlined proposed transport investment priorities to 2022. The transport element of the plan was framed by the conclusions reached in my Department’s strategic investment framework for land transport. This report highlighted the importance of maintenance and renewal of transport infrastructure together with targeted investments to address particular bottlenecks and critical safety issues. The capital plan provides €6 billion for investment in the roads network in the period to 2022, with €4.4 billion earmarked for the maintenance and strengthening of the existing extensive network throughout the State and €1.6 billion for new projects.

Allowing for the commitments relating to public private partnership, PPP, projects, the balance available for new projects within the available capital envelope was limited. Given the funding constraints, a project of the scale of the M20 would have absorbed a substantial proportion of the budget for new projects. In those circumstances, as I understand it, the decision made by my predecessor was to provide for a mix of smaller-scale projects throughout the country to address particular constraints, including bottlenecks and port connectivity.

While it will not be possible to address all the demands for schemes over the capital plan period, the plan does provide for the gradual build-up in capital funding for the road network towards the levels needed to support maintenance and improvement works. In this context a number of important projects in Cork are included in the plan, including the upgrade of the Dunkettle roundabout and the N22 road between Ballyvourney and Macroom. In addition, the plan also provides that the N28 upgrade scheme will also commence subject to necessary approvals.

We are all aware that the recovery of the economy is generating spending pressures across the Government system, including capital investment needs. I am conscious of the potential regional development benefits of an upgrade of the Cork to Limerick link, and in this regard I agreed to TIl spending €1 million to undertake some early activity surveys and studies.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is progressing the review of the plan and my Department has made a submission putting forward a strong case for additional funding. The submission includes a request for funding for the development of a pipeline of road projects and I expect further planning work on the M20 to be considered in this context. Final decisions on the allocation of additional funding under the capital plan review are a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Government as a whole. I will review the scope for advancing the project further once the capital plan review is completed.

I understand the Deputies' frustrations. It is coming to me loud and clear that something ought to be done in this area. The size of the project is pretty forbidding in the current circumstances, but I would not rule out creative or imaginative suggestions in this regard.

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