Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

LIHAF is a scheme that funds the building of public infrastructure by local authorities. Its objective is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to housing delivery. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. The scheme was designed specifically to address the issue of housing supply, a crucial factor in moderating house prices. Infrastructure being funded under LIHAF includes access roads, distributor roads, link roads, road improvements, roundabouts, bridges and parks. The scheme funds roads projects insofar as they open up access to housing land and is not designed to fund more general traffic-management solutions.

In 2017, grant agreements for 30 approved projects were signed between the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and local authorities. These include two projects in County Kildare, at Naas and Maynooth. As the Deputy is aware, the Naas inner relief road project was cancelled by Kildare County Council following the rejection of the Part 8 planning application for the road by the elected members of the council in mid-2019. As the infrastructure was not proceeding, the LIHAF funding agreement was cancelled at that time.

With regard to the LIHAF project at Maynooth, Kildare County Council is liaising with a range of stakeholders, including my Department, to advance the Maynooth eastern relief road, MERR, project. The discussions are ongoing. I am informed that Kildare County Council published, on 6 December last year, the Maynooth Eastern Relief Road – Compulsory Purchase Order 2022 and that the process is ongoing.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage currently has no other funding allocated or project agreement in place with Kildare County Council to facilitate any housing-related road infrastructure in Naas or Celbridge.

While the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has responsibility at central government level for the local government system generally and certain specific functional or service areas, such as planning, housing and fire services, responsibility for policy, funding, legislation, and general oversight and accountability at national level in respect of a number of functions of local authorities rests with other relevant Departments. Accordingly, with regard to any new traffic management proposals beyond those concerning specific infrastructure to open up development land for housing, it is a matter for Kildare County Council to bring these forward in the first instance. Overall responsibility for roads policy and funding at a national level rests with the Minister for Transport. I hear what the Deputy says in that while it is possible to alleviate problems, action is required and traffic needs to flow, especially at peak times. However, that there are ongoing discussions should be of some solace to him.

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