James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I acknowledge that within it there was reference to moneys spent. What I want to discuss, however, is money that has been allocated for expenditure in this calendar year but is not being spent.

Normally, Transport Infrastructure Ireland's budget is agreed by its board, in consultation with the Department of Transport, generally in the second week of December. That was the case before this Government came to power and before we had a Green Party Minister in the Department of Transport. Since the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, took office, however, we have seen this decision delayed as much as halfway into the month of February and a State agency signing off on the annual transport budget seven or eight weeks into the new year. It is farcical and people know it. Those who work in this industry also know it is the case. It gives an indication that there are very serious issues with the allocations that are being signed off.

What annoys me as a TD - it gets under my skin, frankly - is that this State agency is approving a budget for expenditure in a calendar year that is subsequently not funded. Talk about a pie in the face for any Government TD in a constituency later in the year where TII has to say that, actually, it does not have the money to fund these projects because it is not getting the support from the Department of Transport. I question the level of engagement between the Departments of transport and public expenditure around their needs. That is coming from a policy perspective from the Minister at the head of the Department of Transport. This has to be addressed.

Ultimately, towns like Fermoy and other areas in constituencies like my own, as well as national road schemes that people depend on to get to and from their daily place of work, will ultimately suffer. Some very significant safety improvement schemes have not progressed. As I said to the House, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, 66% of the schemes had not been tendered as of August. That is completely and utterly unacceptable.

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