Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I outlined previously, once funding arrangements have been put in place through the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the public spending code guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. The N72 and N73 Mallow relief road has been identified in the national development plan. Therefore, TII is working to progress the scheme through planning, design and construction.

As I have outlined, the project is at an early stage in this process. The programme for Government commits to bringing forward the planned view of the national development plan from 2022 and to use the review to set out an updated national development plan for the period to 2031. The review of the NDP will be aligned with the national planning framework and Project Ireland 2040. Work is under way within the Department to contribute to this planned review and the programme for Government also states that the process of reviewing the NDP and updating the national planning framework will not frustrate or delay any existing projects.

TII remains committed to progressing the N72-N73 Mallow relief road and, as previously stated, this is subject to the public spending code guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals.

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