Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this important question. The bypass of the N80 on the eastern and western sides of the town of Portlaoise would mean that traffic, of which there is a high volume on this route from the south east, across the midlands and to the west, would not have to pass through the town of Portlaoise as it does at present. It is very important for Portlaoise, for County Laois and the midlands, but also for the west. The N80 connects the west with important ports to the east such as Waterford and Rosslare. There are already 6 km of this route in place. The 6 km, which have been constructed by Laois County Council, amount to nine tenths of it. The remaining section of which I speak is almost 0.6 km. Nine tenths of the infrastructure is in place and the last one tenth is needed.

To date, it has cost the local authority in excess of €13 million. Often it is asked what development levies are used for; in County Laois, in the main, they have been used well. Laois County Council has used them to get this vital piece of infrastructure in place. The local authority has delivered magnificently.

From a local point of view, it is an important piece of infrastructure for Portlaoise town. There are two low rail bridges in the town and while safety measures and warning measures have been put in place, there is still the occasional bridge-strike when high lorries hit them. It is important to get those high lorries away from the town completely. High lorries are going through James Fintan Lalor Avenue, up through the middle of a shopping area where there are pedestrian crossings and other pedestrian facilities, and that needs to change.

Also, in September next three new schools will open on a campus beside the orbital route and there will be traffic chaos. The Gaelscoil, the local Church of Ireland school and the Educate Together school will open there in September. In the following September, hopefully, the three schools for the parish, which will be amalgamated at Aghnaharna-Summerhill, will also open and we need this infrastructure to move traffic around the town. It is vital. The new schools opening in that area along with the existing facilities will put considerable pressure on the roads in the town, including the Timahoe Road, the Abbeyleix Road, the Stradbally road and the Dublin Road.

From a national point of view, as I stated earlier, it is important to connect ports such as Rosslare with the midlands and the west. If we are to improve the economy and competitiveness, we must improve regional connectivity.

The northern orbital route which was the grand plan for Portlaoise - not to go to the east and to the west of the town but to build a completely new northern orbital - is not feasible because it is dependent on development levies from housing construction. That will not now happen. One would be looking at a cost of up to €30 million to construct it. The local representatives and local officials are realistic about this, and as a local Deputy I am realistic about it. We are not banging down anyone's door looking for funding to construct a new orbital route.

As I stated, the local authority has stepped up to the plate here. The councillors, the local authority staff and the county manager have delivered magnificently. They have put nine tenths of this infrastructure in place.

Joe O'Reilly (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Stanley will have time for a supplementary point.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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It is in the national spatial strategy and the regional planning guidelines.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this Topical Issues matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources and are supplemented by State road grants.

There have been large reductions in roads expenditure over the past number of years and there will be further reductions in the next number of years. In contrast with the figure for 2007, for example, when grants of €607 million were made available towards regional and local roads, in 2013 these grants have fallen to €350 million or almost half. Given the current financial position, the main focus must be on the maintenance and repair of the roads in which we have already heavily invested and this will remain the position in the coming years.

In this regard, it should be noted that the initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority. In July of last year, local authorities were invited to submit applications for consideration for funding in 2013 under the specific improvement grants scheme. Laois County Council applied for funding for 11 projects under this grant category but the Portlaoise southern circular road was not among the projects selected for funding in 2013.

The specific improvement grants scheme is being suspended from 2014 onward in order to maximise the funding available for repair and strengthening work. In lieu of the specific improvement grant programme, applications will be sought in mid-2013 for minor bridge repair works, which is a subset of the current specific grant programme, for 2014. This is in line with focusing funding on road and bridge maintenance and strengthening.

The reality of the funding position means that in all areas of activity priorities must be set. Given the current financial position, it has been necessary to reduce the grant allocations for major new road schemes and for major realignment schemes. The main focus must be on the maintenance and repair of roads and this will remain the position in the coming years. The small amount of funding available for major schemes will focus on projects already under construction or to which the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is already committed.

It is appreciated that many local authorities are trying to implement savings, but it is also important to re-iterate that the role of Exchequer grants for regional and local roads is to supplement local authorities such as Laois County Council in their spending in this area. The reality is that the available funds do not match the amount of work required. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and local authorities are working closely to develop new more efficient ways of delivering the best outputs possible with the funding available to them. Given the likely continued squeeze on Exchequer funding, this concentration on efficiency is essential to achieve the best outturns for the limited funding available.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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I recognise that funding for these projects has fallen from over €600 million to €350 million in the current year. Leaving that aside, the point I would make to the Minister of State is that during the boom years Laois County Council did not come looking for funding for this orbital route from central Government. It used local resources and used them well.

I take on board the Minister of State's point that the priority is to maintain what is there. In the context of Portlaoise, and if the Department is to maintain what is there, significant damage is being done to the Timahoe Road, the Stradbally Road, the Abbeyleix Road and other roads in the town because this 600 m of road is not in place. If this piece of infrastructure was in place, it would take a considerable burden of traffic off the other roads.

I am informed that the total cost would come to a maximum of €4.8 million. Laois County Council has acquired one of the parcels of land. It has already started that process in that the CPO has been approved for all lands concerned. The remaining section, of almost 600 m, is the last piece of vital infrastructure. It is the last piece of the jigsaw and would complete the N80 bypass, from the south east, right up across the midlands and into the west. I am urging the Government in this regard.

There was some talk in recent days - about which the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, who is seated beside the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, may know more - of some kind of stimulus package. I recognise the Government must spend money carefully and I would not want to see money thrown around, but this would represent value for money. I am reliably informed that Laois County Council would not come looking for the full €4.8 million from the Government. It would play its part and pull its weight by making an input locally. If the Government is considering a list of capital projects, I ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, who is beside the Minister of State, to ensure this vital piece of infrastructure is included.

It is good that the cities were connected by motorways. It was long overdue. We must connect the regions by national secondary routes and we are a long way behind on it although that was the intention. If the Minister recalls, during the 2000s it was intended to sort out the cities first and put motorways in place. That is done. The Department must start moving to connect the ports to the regions by way of national secondary routes such as the N80.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I repeat that the grants that were available towards regional and local roads in 2007 of just over €600 million have been reduced to €350 million. In times of severe economic challenge, one must prioritise what one feels is the best use of those scarce resources.

The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, and I would argue that the best use at this point in time is to maintain to an acceptable level the very long network of roads we have throughout this country. I recall reading that we may have the most kilometres of road per capitain the whole of Europe. That places a significant burden both on local authorities and the Exchequer to maintain the extensive network.

This is the decision taken at this point, although I am hopeful that as we emerge from our economic difficulties, we will once again be able to fund projects such as this. It would be equally as important for Laois County Council to work as best it can with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to determine which infrastructural improvements would be a priority, and as the Deputy suggests, perhaps this road could be towards the top of those priorities. When the decision ultimately comes as to what will be funded in future, the local authority will have a major role to play in determining the priorities for its functional area.