Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)

I am glad to hear that the response was of some use. We look at the quantums available, as I alluded to at the outset of my initial response, in terms of the capital spending budget, not necessarily for new national road projects but the €2.9 billion allocated for the protection and renewal of the existing national road network, with a considerable amount, €502 million, made available this year. The Deputy will recall that we were both in the previous Dáil and we raised many issues in this Chamber as Topical Issues and I received issues under Commencement matters in the other Chamber. There has been a very distinctive step change in terms of the funding available in this half of the decade for national road projects. I know that is of little succour to the many Deputies and Senators, particularly those who are no longer here, who consistently raised issues and were told this would come in the second half of the decade. There is funding available. Again, it is down to the options and feasibility report by the local authority to make apparent the real necessity of these works. It is fitting that we conclude this debate in putting on the record our shared desire to make our roads safer on this fateful day.

See this speech in context