Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. It is important to underline the point that the national development plan is not a comprehensive list of every project that will happen over the coming ten years. It is fundamentally a high-level document that sets out the overall strategic priorities for the Government and the financial framework available to support capital investment over the period. The fact an individual project is not explicitly referenced does not preclude it from being progressed or from being fully delivered over the course of the national development plan.

I am familiar with the Limerick northern distributor road and I know Clare County Council is the lead authority on the project under a section 85 agreement with Limerick City and County Council. This project was raised with the National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland when they appeared before the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications in early November to discuss the NDP. They confirmed their intention to go to a second round of public consultation in January and that the northern distributor road, with public transport provision on it, was included in their first document. They also propose to include it in their second document. I will work with the Deputy, other colleagues in the region and the Minister for Transport on this important local road project.

See this speech in context