Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Transport the status of the proposed Dublin outer orbital route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23398/08]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has received the National Roads Authority's feasibility study on the proposed Leinster orbital route; the way he envisages the construction of the Leinster orbital route will be funded; his views on whether the construction of the Leinster orbital route should be a key priority of the NRA after the completion of the national interurban road network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23283/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 123 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in respect of the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA, under the Roads Act 1993 in conjunction with the relevant local authorities.

In 2007, the NRA completed an updated feasibility study, which built on an earlier 2001 study, that considered, in particular, the costs and benefits of what has become known as the Leinster outer orbital route.

The updated NRA study, which was forwarded to my Department in 2007, finds there is merit in an orbital route linking Drogheda, Navan, Trim and Naas. Neither Transport 21 nor the national development plan provides any funding for such a scheme to be brought to construction in the period to 2015. The Government has already made clear, under Transport 21, that priorities for the roads investment programme, after the completion of the major interurban network in 2010, will be the Atlantic road corridor as well as the improvement of other key national primary routes and the targeted improvement of certain national secondary routes.

The Minister for Finance has indicated his determination to seek to avoid any diminution of the capital provisions already made in the period to 2015, notwithstanding the current economic difficulties. The Leinster orbital route proposal remains an important potential element of our longer-term infrastructural development. My Department will continue to liaise with the roads and planning authorities concerned to ensure that the route options are preserved free of impediment for this potential project.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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From the perspective of the Minister's constituency and mine, as well as north County Dublin, this critical route must be built because, as the Minister is aware, a major proposal has been made for a new port at Bremore. It will be critical for the orbital route to be present to link together the transport links to remove all that traffic from Dublin city. Moreover, wherever the hospital services are to be located in the north east, unless connections are put in place between Drogheda and Navan, Navan and elsewhere and so on, it will be very difficult to sell a new hospital in Drogheda or wherever it may be. While this project is in the programme for Government, is it not the case that the Green Party opposes it? It is holding back on it and the commitment in the programme for Government is solely that by the end of the Government's term, if it runs to full length, it will have in place the design. No funding will be put into this route and, therefore, were the port to be built, it would not have the requisite roads to move the traffic outwards.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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As I have stated previously to the Deputy, I agree with his view that this will become an important part of the infrastructure for the north east, the north Leinster area and for the city of Dublin. This is the reason I stated in my reply that my Department continues to liaise with roads and planning authorities to ensure that the route options are preserved free of impediment for the potential project.

I agree with the Deputy that the development of the port at Bremore, which would be significant, will and should have an effect on the Government's thinking on the timing of this route. While I believe the new hospital is critical for the north east, the absence of the Leinster orbital route should not delay the provision of the hospital in Navan as decided by the HSE.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Has the Minister investigated whether the project might be facilitated by a public private partnership or otherwise? Has he discussed it in detail with the NRA? As the Minister is aware, the Green Party, and Deputy Cuffe in particular, recently stated this project was not part of the Government's strategy and would not take place while the Green Party was in Government. Does the Minister or the Green Party speak for the Government regarding this important project?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister will agree that the proposed port at Bremore cannot go ahead without this route as Balbriggan people have suffered greatly from overdevelopment without infrastructure. I am sure the Minister will also agree that, in this case, integral simultaneous development must take place. In light of the previous speaker's comments, I hope it is the Minister who speaks. He should give a commitment to the House that funding will be made available and that he will not follow the advice of the Green Party element of his Cabinet in this regard because it would have a highly negative impact on people.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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If the Green Party does not intend to be in government after 2012, that is its decision.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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It might come sooner than that.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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It was never envisaged that this project would take place or would be built during the lifetime of this Government and no commitment was given to provide it in that time. Were the port of Bremore to go ahead, obviously during the associated planning process issues such as access to and from it and so on would be critical to the final decision that will be made. This certainly could make a difference to the timing of the Leinster outer orbital route.