Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to deal with the issue at hand. To be fair, I acknowledge the role of the Minister, Deputy Ross, in keeping the northern relief road on the agenda, as he has with regard to the M20. I was in receipt of correspondence previously from the Minister on the M20 Cork to Limerick route, but there is a need for the interurban network of roads to be facilitated also, which why I am making the case here today for the N72 and N73 bypass.

The Minister may be in possession of the economic assessment case made by Indecon consultants and issued in June 2015. It makes a strong case based on the future projected growth of towns such as Mallow. We welcome wholeheartedly the funding provision made for the M20. There is a parcel of funding behind it of approximately €900 million, and we acknowledge some grant aid has been given through Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to allow for feasibility studies and further works on the northern relief road.

Will the Minister give us further clarity on timelines for the progression of the project? Is there a possibility that further moneys might be made available for the project? The key findings of the Indecon international economic analysis state Mallow is the largest town in the north of County Cork and is one of the fastest growing towns in Cork with regard to population. The agrifood sector is a key sectoral strength in the immediate conurbation, and it supports more than 12,000 people in the agriculture sector alone. We have seen the growth of Dairygold as one of the key reference points nationally for the production of milk powder and the expansion of dairy. This is giving rise to major transport movements through HGVs, and it is putting a constraint on the local infrastructure.

Is it possible for the Minister to engage further through TII, with a view to seeing whether there is a possibility for further grants to be made available, from his finite budget, to progress this project and reflect the realities of the fact Mallow is a growing town, ensuring it facilitates and dovetails with, or runs in parallel with, the M20 Cork to Limerick project?

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