Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this important issue on national secondary routes and, in particular, the Mallow relief road. As he outlined, I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who is unable to be here.

The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding with regard to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is 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.

The Government has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will provide for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects which are already at construction stage and those close to it, as well as the development of a number of others.

As the greater proportion of this funding becomes available in the second half of the decade, this has meant that there is a constraint on the funding available for new projects in 2024. However, approximately €412 million of Exchequer capital funds were provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2024.

Having regard to the funding constraint outlined, it was not possible to provide an allocation to all national road projects in the NDP for 2024. However, the majority of projects did receive funding, including the Mallow relief road project which has received an allocation of €300,000. A preferred route for the scheme has been selected and it will now progress through the design and environmental evaluation phases. As with all national roads projects in the NDP, the delivery programme for the Mallow relief road project will be kept under review in future years and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII.

With regard to the national secondary road network more generally, there are a number of projects referenced in the NDP, including the Listowel bypass, which is under construction, and the Moycullen bypass, which has been completed. The 2024 allocations also provide targeted interventions on a number of roads, such as the N86 between Tralee and Dingle and the N59 between Maam Cross and Oughterard. Many national secondary roads are “lifeline routes”, which are the only acceptable route available in remote areas. As such, it is vital to keep them in a safe and robust condition.

I also have experience of the need for a relief road, a distributor road, for the town of Athy. We waited for it for 40 years and when it was officially opened by the Taoiseach on 31 October last year we saw first-hand the massive benefits. The benefits extend beyond taking traffic off the main street of a town and include pedestrian routes and cycleways as well as connectivity to the train station that was never envisaged for certain estates in the town. There has also been a modal shift in Athy as 18- and 19-years-old, who would always have felt they needed a car, have come to realise they can now cycle to the train station in five minutes, which is much more accessible. The town's main street has also been enhanced. The next element will be to invest heavily in the main street, including in widening footpaths. The retail experience in the centre of town is key. A road is not just about cars; it is much broader than that, so I get why the people of Mallow want a relief road. With €5.1 billion earmarked to deliver these projects under the NDP, there is a determination across government to see the positive benefits we see in Athy being delivered to towns such as Mallow. I look forward to seeing that happen.

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