Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have raised this issue with the Minister on several occasions, as he is aware, and each time the response has been the same. The previous responses the Minister has given were that given the cutbacks in State funding for regional and local roads since the financial crisis it has been necessary to curtail the grant programme for major new, regional and local road schemes and for major realignment schemes in order to protect the funding available for the maintenance of the existing network. The Minister has regurgitated that reply each time I have submitted a question to him. The Minister stated "curtail" but that is a little bit of an understatement. The opportunities to apply for grants have been literally non-existent.

As I stated, I have raised this with the Minister before and I want to explain what the northern environs programme is. It is a plan to build three neighbourhoods consisting of more than 7,000 houses. This will mean an increase in population of more than 20,000 people in the town of Drogheda. To say that the port access northern cross route is a vital piece of infrastructure is an understatement. It was a dismal failure of the Minister and the Government, although no surprise, that this route was not included in the Project Ireland 2040 plan. There is not even a reference to it. Drogheda receives just third tier status.

The CEO of Louth County Council has also stated that due to the reduction in funding from the Minister's Department there were few, or no, real opportunities to apply for this grant.

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