Dáil debates
Wednesday, 20 July 2016
Topical Issue Debate
Road Projects Status
2:35 pm
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The first Topical Issue is in the name of Deputies Aindrias Moynihan and Brendan Griffin. They have two minutes each.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The N22 Macroom bypass needs to be prioritised and moved to tender for construction. We cannot leave it pushed out to 2022. It is three years this month since the courts ruled on the bypass and the way was cleared for the land purchase to begin. In the meantime the land purchase has been moving along slowly, little by little. At this stage, three years on, it is a bit over halfway. Late last year there was great fanfare when Government Deputies were telling us we were on the new programme and were promising us everything was going to go ahead and was hunky-dory. However, there was no start date, which was of great concern for locals. Earlier this year it was very worrying for locals when the moneys allocated for the land purchase were reduced from €5 million to €3.8 million. To date, much of that allocation has already been spent. Up to this morning, €3.426 million of this year's allocation had been consumed and we are only as far as July. Transport Infrastructure Ireland really let the cat out of the bag in recent weeks when it met with Cork County Council. It said, "It is TII's intention to appoint a contractor for Dunkettle in 2018, as it is their top priority project, with a view to commencing in 2019/2020 while the N22 and N28 will be post 2021". That means it is not on the current programme but post-2021, which is the next programme. That is a serious setback for locals, who are keen to be unburdened of traffic by having the Macroom bypass built. It causes serious distress for people.
I ask the Minister to prioritise the Macroom bypass. Various Ministers have moved it through the different stages, and I ask the Minister to release it to tender for construction and raise it at Cabinet level, and possibly, if he has an opportunity-----
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The Deputy is sharing time with Deputy Griffin.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I understood I had four minutes.
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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It is two minutes and two minutes.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I understood I had four minutes.
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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No, it is two minutes and two minutes. They are my instructions.
Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this issue. It is something I have raised here on numerous occasions over the last five and a half years. I did so with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Michael Creed, on a number of occasions on Topical Issues and during Question Time. It was really good news to learn last year that the N22 was being put on the capital plan for 2016 to 2021. It was very positive. Various dates are being thrown about now for the start of this vital socioeconomic project for the entire south-west region. A date of 2022 was given to Cork councillors by TII; a date of 2020 was given to the chief executive of Kerry County Council by TII; and, at the most recent meeting of the transport committee, the Department indicated a date of post 2018-2019. Can the Minister give us an indication of what the date will be and if this matter will be prioritised? Logistically, from an engineering point of view, the N22 is a far more straightforward project than the Dunkettle project, which was referred to, or the Ringaskiddy road. There is no reason this road cannot go ahead in the very near future. There is no reason it cannot be started by the end of 2017. It is nearly shovel-ready. The need is well proven. From a socioeconomic point of view it would be a massive boost to the entire region. Figures I obtained last year from the NRA showed that there had been 41 fatalities since 1990 on this stretch of road, so the reasons are compelling. We need the Minister to ensure this is a priority project. When the capital plan was announced I went to the people of Kerry in good faith to tell them this road was on the capital plan, and my objective is to get it built as soon as possible. The Minister could help us with this and make sure it is a priority project. That is why I am raising it here today.
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I will clarify that each Deputy had two minutes because they were sharing. The Minister has four minutes to answer.
Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank Deputy Moynihan and Deputy Griffin for raising this very important subject. I am very aware that Deputy Griffin raised this consistently in the last Dáil. It is a legitimate running sore for those who represent the area, and I will try to address the problem as adequately as possible in the time that is left.
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding of the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads, such as the N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom scheme, is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual national road projects is a matter for TII in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act.
The Ballyvourney to Macroom scheme involves the construction of 22 km of new carriageway from just east of Macroom to west of Ballyvourney, including a bypass of Macroom town.
Ireland has just under 100,000 km of road in its network and the maintenance and improvement of national, regional and local roads places a substantial financial burden on local authorities and on the Exchequer. There have been very large reductions in Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure over the past number of years because of the national financial position. For this reason, the focus has had to be on maintenance and renewal rather than major new improvement schemes.
The capital plan published in September 2015 outlined proposed transport investment priorities to 2022. I understand that the transport element of the plan was framed by the conclusions reached in my Department's strategic investment framework for land transport. This report highlighted the importance of maintenance and renewal of transport infrastructure, together with targeted investments, to address particular bottlenecks and critical safety issues.
The capital plan provides €6 billion for investment in the roads network in the period to 2022, with €4.4 billion earmarked for the maintenance and strengthening of the existing extensive network throughout the country and €1.6 billion for new projects. Given the funding limits, the decision made by my predecessor was to provide for a mix of projects across the country to address particular constraints, including bottlenecks and port connectivity.
While it will not be possible to address all the demands for improvement schemes over the capital plan period, the plan provides for a number of important projects in the Cork area which are scheduled to commence construction within the plan period, including the upgrade of the Dunkettle roundabout and the N22 road between Ballyvourney and Macroom. In addition, the plan also provides that the N28 upgrade scheme will also commence subject to necessary approvals.
The transport element of the capital plan is based on a gradual build up in capital funding for the road network from the current relatively low base towards the levels needed to support maintenance and improvement works. Funding will continue to be tight in 2017, with a step up in 2018 and 2019 and then a significant ramp up from 2020. As Minister, I must work within the capital budgets included in the plan and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in planning the construction schedule for individual projects, must also take account of the annual budgets available.
As regards the Ballyvourney to Macroom scheme, the scheme has full statutory approval and land acquisition is under way. Construction on this scheme is due to start in 2020.
As I have indicated previously, we all are conscious that the recovery of the economy is generating spending pressures across the government system, including capital investment needs. As part of a programme for partnership Government, there is an increased emphasis on the need for spending on public services but the Government still must operate within the EU fiscal rules and this does constrain options. There will be a mid-term review of the capital plan and this will provide an opportunity to assess progress and consider what scope there is for increased levels of investment depending on economic growth.
2:45 pm
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the clarification that the Minister's position is that construction on this scheme is due to start in 2020. There are various dates floating around on it. Cork County Council has been given a date of 2021 or later for the construction of it. TII and Cork County Council, the bodies at the coalface dealing with this on a daily basis, are saying it will be post-2021. Will the Minister sit down with representatives of TII to clarify, and impress on them, that it is a priority for TII that the Macroom bypass is started immediately?
Will the Minister release the bypass to tender for construction because we cannot afford to have it waiting much longer than it is? As outlined earlier, it is a dangerous road on which there have been far too many fatalities. Since the compulsory purchase order, CPO, was made by the Minister more than three years ago, the number of people killed on that road would fill the entire front bench where the Minister is sitting. While I have been a public representative, and in my own area alone, the number of people killed on that road would fill that front bench, the one behind the Minister and the one behind that.
Will the Minister release this road to tender for construction without delay? Even 2020, if one goes by that date, is still a number of years away and one is looking at further danger and further fatalities.
Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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I concur with the comments made by my colleague, Deputy Moynihan, and thank the Minister for his response. As a Deputy for the county of Kerry and working with my colleague across the border in Cork, I am pleading with the Minister to do what he can to prioritise this project, which is badly needed. What it has going for it is that it is almost shovel-ready. There is no reason this should be delayed any further.
While I welcome the clarification of a possible 2020 date as distinct from the 2022 date that was bandied around earlier, and with some point-scoring from certain quarters earlier in the week and last week, it is still too far away. It is four years away and there is no reason we should have to wait four years for this. There is no reason this cannot start in 2017. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Primarily, my fear is lives will be lost but the significant socioeconomic boost that this will give the region cannot be overlooked. What this will do for the south-west region is that it will open up a whole world of possibilities on both the Cork and Kerry sides. I urge the Minister to go back to TII and ask its representatives to find a way to move this forward.
Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I understand all the arguments that have been made by Deputies Griffin and Moynihan about the number of accidents, the dangers, the importance of this and the delays to which they have referred. They must understand funds are short. There is clearance for many roads but there is no funding for them. This is, of course, a priority.
The confusion is difficult to understand but the Deputies have heard all I have to say about that. I am meeting representatives of the TII in the next two weeks. I will ensure when I meet them that this is on the agenda, not only whether there is any need or compelling reason to hasten this up or whether there are any funds for that - I doubt if there is - but to sort out the mix-up in the dates, which is a legitimate point made by both Deputies. When I have discussed it with them at my meeting, which is definitely in early August, I will communicate with the Deputies.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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In the meantime, would the Minister take the opportunity to travel the road and experience it for himself?
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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That is it. I am going on to the next issue.