Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be pleased to hear Laois did figure in funding this year. An allocation of €1.147 million has been provided to Laois County Council for national roads so far this year. That comprises €701,300 for capital protection and renewal and €445,949 for current protection and renewal.

Approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funding has been provided to TII for national roads so far this year, and almost €1.2 million of this has been allocated for Laois County Council, which I am sure Deputy Stanley is pleased to hear. This is in line with the NDP and Government policy.

In line with this, TII has sought to allocate national road funding to local authorities in a manner which seeks to achieve the protection and renewal of existing national road networks, and the progression of major projects in or near construction. I appreciate Deputy Stanley saying this could be a shovel-ready project if it were to be in the national development plan. It is not in the NDP so the next step is to get it there, if this is what Deputy Stanley is looking for, and I will absolutely remind the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, that it is not in the NDP at present. It also looks to progress major projects at an earlier stage of development in the pipeline. A number of the new road projects included in the NDP have already been delivered. They include the N22 project, the Dunkettle interchange, the N5 Westport to Turlough route and the bypasses of Moycullen and Listowel. The programme for Government commits to increased funding for new roads as part of the NDP review and to the maintenance of existing roads.

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