Dáil debates

Tuesday, 14 November 2017

Topical Issue Debate

Road Improvement Schemes

6:10 pm

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I appreciate the importance she attaches to the development of the roads in her locality. When I visited the area recently, the Deputy helpfully and kindly showed me the dangerous roads in respect of which measures are needed. We will look seriously at such measures.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I am responsible for overall policy for and funding of 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 to 2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII within its capital budget and in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act 1993. Ireland has a road network of just under 100,000 km. The maintenance and improvement of national, regional and local roads places a substantial financial burden on local authorities and the Exchequer. The national financial position led to large reductions in the amounts of Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure in the years of financial crisis. For this reason, there has been a focus on maintenance and renewal rather than major new improvements in recent years. I envisage that the emphasis on maintaining current assets will continue into the next capital plan period. The 2016-21 capital plan, Building on Recovery, and the capital plan review allocations mark a significant step forward in restoring funding to the levels needed to maintain the road network in a steady-state condition and allowing for some investment in road improvement schemes. The allocations and planned projects for the first years of the proposed ten-year capital investment plan will align with the existing capital plan as supplemented as part of the capital plan review.

I understand from TII that it has invested approximately €8.3 million in upgrade works on the N62 in County Offaly since 2012. Additional funding of €369,000 has been provided by TII for road safety improvement schemes on the route. I accept the Deputy's argument that this is not enough. I acknowledge that further great improvements are needed on this road. After ten years of retrenchment, there are many potential national, regional and local road improvement projects across the country. The scope for progressing new road improvement projects will depend on the capital funding allocated to the Department under the proposed ten-year capital investment plan. As there are many competing demands, the appraisal and prioritisation of projects in line with the requirements of the public spending code and the Department's capital appraisal framework will be central to assessing which suitable major and minor national road projects can be advanced. We will bear in mind the high priority the Deputy has attached to this road and the excellent case she has made for it this evening.

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