Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Department of Transport has responsibility for overall policy on Exchequer funding regarding the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Act and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads will be a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP. In the new NDP, which was launched in October 2021, approximately €5.1 billion was earmarked for new national road projects to 2030. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country, as well as compact growth which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will be provided for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects that are already at construction stage and those that are close to it, as well as the development of a number of others.

Due to the fact that a great proportion of NDP funding for road projects will become available in the second half of the decade, there was a constraint on the funding available for new projects this year. However, most national roads projects in the NDP will continue to progress in 2022. In addition, a major priority in the NDP, in line with Department’s investment hierarchy, is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing national road network. The NDP foresees an Exchequer allocation of approximately €2.9 billion for the protection and renewal of existing national roads over the ten-year period to 2030, allocated fairly and evenly across the decade.

The N72 is a national secondary road that runs east-west from its junction with the N25 near Dungarvan in Waterford to the N70 in Killorglin in Kerry. The N72 passes through a number of towns, including Lismore, Fermoy, Rathmore, Killarney and Killorglin. TII allocated €3,000 to Cork County Council for minor works at the Ballymaquirke Cross in 2022. Cork County Council has recently tendered the works contracted for the development of a new junction at this location. This may include the construction of a new roundabout and the realignment of a section of road.

The Department of Transport has been informed by TII that tenders have recently returned to the council which will now be assessed. It is hoped that this scheme will commence construction in 2023. Another NDP project on the N72 in this region is the Mallow relief road for which funding was allocated in 2022. This project, which is at planning and design stage, will improve connectivity in the north Cork area. It will also enhance the urban environment of the town of Mallow, reduce congestion and provide benefits to walkers, cyclists and vulnerable road users.

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