Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

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

This road scheme involves the construction of 22 km of new carriageway from just east of Macroom to west of Ballyvourney, including a bypass of Macroom town. The scheme will address the inadequacies on the existing road layout in a variety of ways, including improving road safety, increasing the capacity of the road, improving journey times and relieving congestion in Macroom town. TII is responsible for implementation of the project within available budgets. The scheme has full statutory approval. TII has progressed land purchase and advance works on the project, including archaeology and site investigations. The tender documentation for the construction contract is also being prepared, and EirGrid and Cork County Council have sought procedural advice from An Bord Pleanála in respect of pylon relocation.

The Ballyvourney to Macroom upgrade scheme was included in the Building on Recovery capital plan, and TII has been progressing preparatory work related to the project. As the plan provides for the gradual build-up in capital funding for the road network, with funding backloaded towards the end of the plan period, the construction programme for the major national road improvement projects will ramp up from 2020. Construction of the Ballyvourney to Macroom scheme is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2020. However, within this context, I understand that TII has progressed land purchase and advance works on the project, including archaeology and site investigations. I also understand that the tender documentation relating to the construction of the project is being prepared. TII allocated €4 million to this scheme in 2014, €5 million in 2015, €3.8 million in 2016 and €14 million this year.

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