John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will start again. First, I take the opportunity to acknowledge and welcome the points made by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, and the other contributors to this debate. Our road network plays an integral part in society and in our economic recovery in terms of, for example, supporting the lives of those socialising and working in rural communities, job creation, health and education, and creating balance in regional and local development. This is a serious and constructive motion that has been considered and accepted by the Government.

As outlined by the Minister, Deputy Ross, the financial crisis and resulting funding cutbacks in previous years has had major and tangible impacts on the maintenance and upgrading of our road network. In the circumstances, I understand why the focus of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and local authorities has been on maintaining both the existing regional and road networks for the past number of years. Therefore, despite the considerable funding constraints for our roads network over many years, it must be acknowledged that considerable efforts have been made and continue to be made to best manage what is a difficult situation.

The necessity to target scarce resources towards maintenance and rehabilitation works has meant that in the past two years more than 90% of regional and local road funding has been directed towards such works. In that context, I very much welcome the increase in funding under the capital review of the Building on Recovery capital plan for 2016 to 2021 which will allow maintenance and rehabilitation moneys to increase to the required steady State level of funding over the period of the plan and will also include moneys for targeted road improvement schemes. I add my support to the stated aim by the Minister, Deputy Ross that the additional funding allocated under the capital review for the period 2018 to 2021 of €486 million will be distributed to secure a balance between servicing the existing network while at the same time examining the potential for improving and expanding the network.

Given the scale of the economic crisis and subsequent funding constraints for many years, it must be acknowledged that it will take some time to remedy the cumulative deterioration of the network and to make the improvements required. With all respect to Fianna Fáil which has tabled the motion, some of the roads we are travelling on today were in as bad a condition as when it was in government as they are today.

See this speech in context