Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Over the past 25 years, the Government of Ireland has invested heavily in our national roads network, with an extensive motorway system now in place. The motorway network has seen almost tenfold expansion since 2000. Due to the outlined funding constraints for national roads, a prioritisation exercise was necessary from the outset. In line with the NDP and Government policy, the Minister for Transport allocated national road funding for 2023 in a manner which sought to achieve the following key outcomes: protection or renewal of existing national road network; progressing major projects in or near construction; progressing major projects which are pre-construction but well advanced in the development pipeline; and prioritising any remaining funds for major projects which provide for local bypasses and compact growth in Ireland's towns and villages. The Department of Transport and TII engage on a regular basis on the national roads programme and the Department is committed to the continued maintenance and renewal of the existing road network.

The programme for Government commits to full protection of essential road and public transport maintenance and upkeep budgets to ensure continued public safety and connectivity. It also commits to continued investment in new roads infrastructure to ensure that all parts of Ireland are connected to one other. In support of this, approximately €412 million of Exchequer capital funding was allocated to the national roads for both protection and renewal and new roads in 2024. This has resulted in many improvements to the network, as demonstrated by the Dunkettle interchange project which was opened this year.

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