Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister’s comments and his enthusiasm for and commitment to this sector. His points on regional and balanced development were particularly timely and he will be aware that Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, recently shelved the funding for eight major road projects. I will go partisan on this point and say that the most important project within those eight would be the N4 upgrade from Mullingar past Longford. It is particularly disappointing that this money has been shelved. To date, €6 million has been spent on the project and were it to advance it would be well in excess of €100 million and would come under the remit of the major projects advisory group. I take on board the points the Minister makes on value for money and on ensuring from the outset that money is spent prudently and wisely. Surely the concept of having spent €6 million on a project to date and then suddenly pausing it does not make sense. I would hope that the Minister can take this away and look at it with his colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and see if perhaps the additional necessary funding can be secured for all eight of those projects, but most importantly for the N4 upgrade.

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