Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to get clarity from the Government in relation to the roads budget. We have reports that Transport Infrastructure Ireland funding for local authority projects has been stopped in many areas of the country. I have a copy of emails between the Irish Asphalt Pavement Producers Association and Transport Infrastructure Ireland in respect of this. The association asked what was happening because some of its members were hearing reports that local authorities were stalling projects that were to go ahead. The reply from TII stated that it had issued instructions last week for local authorities not to go to tender without prior approval from TII, that its commitment across the expenditure profile exceeded the funding available and that, unfortunately, the consequence is that there will be a significant number of schemes that cannot progress to construction in the current year. In the case of a number of roads projects up and down the country, local authorities have funding in place and the industry is prepared to provide the materials to do them but now we find that the funding has been cut by central government.

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