Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this very important issue for discussion in the Topical Issue debate. The upgrade of the N4 bypass to Roosky is very important to the Longford-Westmeath constituency. The road is currently operating at 120% above capacity, which is a significant problem for infrastructure in the area. It gives rise to a major safety issue in terms of traffic travelling on the road and there have been a significant number of accidents in the area. I recently met the chief executive and the executive team of Longford County Council. They made very clear to me that when the IDA is selling Longford abroad, it is very difficult because one of the main IDA sites in Longford, the Abbott site, is almost sterilised because of the corridor that is this road. In other words, the compulsory purchase order, CPO, process has not yet been approved, and because of that, there is no certainty. We need to provide clarity on the issue as soon as possible because to get it to the CPO process would not take much funding. In capital terms it is approximately €5 million. In the context of the mid-term review of the capital budget and in terms of the major projects in the country, it is amazing that the only significant piece of motorway north of a line east to west from Drogheda is the M1. We really need to invest in the bypass.

My Fine Gael council colleagues in Longford are in touch with me day and night about the issue because they see how important it is to attract investment to Longford and to ensure the county gets its fair share. When Dr. Brian McCann appeared before the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport recently, he spoke about the national planning framework and said it is a key piece of infrastructure which we need to get across the line urgently to develop the north west as a region.

It is important to note we need accessibility in the midlands. We need to ensure it is conducive to people going there and doing business. The N4-N5 is a key artery which has been mentioned recently in terms of the mid-term capital review and the bypass is a key component of that. I have been advocating the project to the office of the Minister, Deputy Ross, through parliamentary questions. I have also been in touch with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. I am trying to make the case for this very important issue and to get funding for it in the capital plan.

Deputy Griffin is chairperson of the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport. A number of chambers of commerce came together to present to the committee on the importance of this piece of infrastructure to the midlands as a region. Anyone can tell the Minister connectivity is very important in modern Ireland. It is very important that people can get to towns quickly to do business and that they are not subjected to the current infrastructure.

The country is on course to break even in 2018. More money is becoming available. That means more tough decisions have to be taken because there are many competing projects, but drawing a line east to west from Drogheda, there is no project with as strong a case as this upgrade. It is a key piece of infrastructure in terms of the national planning framework to 2040 that would open up the north west. People are crying out for this vital piece of infrastructure.

If Sligo is to obtain city status in future, this is a key avenue for that to happen. I appeal to the Minister to give this matter strong consideration. I am hopeful that we can deliver it and get it to the CPO process, thus giving certainty to Longford, Westmeath and other counties in terms of the planning process. After that, we will hopefully get the full operation to motorway status.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank Deputy Burke for raising this important issue. I am familiar with the site as I visited it recently with the Deputy's colleague, Deputy Moran. It is useful to have this debate again with Deputy Burke.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Within its annual budget the planning, design and implementation of individual road projects, such as the N4, is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TIl, under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Ireland has just under 100,000 kilometres 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. Because of the national financial position, there have been large reductions in Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure over the past number of years.

Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TIl in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act. The Government’s Capital Investment Plan entitled Building on Recovery - Infrastructure and Capital Investment, provides the strategic and financial framework for TII's national roads programme for the period from 2016 to 2022. As Minister, I have to work within the capital budgets included in the plan and TII in turn has to prioritise works on the basis of the funding available to it.

Decisions on the transport elements of the capital plan 2016-2021 were framed by the conclusions reached in my Department’s Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport. Based on the findings in that report it is envisaged that maintenance and renewal of the road network will continue to be the main priority over the next period and the bulk of the roads capital budget, approximately €4.4 billion, is earmarked for such essential work, with a further €600 million allocated for implementation of the PPP road programme which is already underway.

The transport element of the capital plan, Building on Recovery, makes provision for a limited number of development projects which are targeted at removing critical bottlenecks or upgrading inadequate sections of road, including the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin upgrade scheme. It was not, however, possible to include a range of projects, including the N4 Mullingar to Longford section which incorporates Roosky.

As regards the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin project, I understand that land acquisition and advance works for that project are underway and Tll has provided an allocation of €7.5 million to Sligo County Council this year to advance the process. As regards the possibility of additional funding within the plan period for national road projects, the capital plan review process is underway and my Department is making a strong case for extra funding to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, including the development of a project pipeline for national road schemes.

The final decisions on allocations are, however, matters for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Government as a whole. However, I do consider the case the Deputy has made to be a very strong one.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the fact the review process is under way and that the Minister is making a strong case for funding under this capital plan. The key is investing in infrastructure because when we do so it unlocks our potential. Since I was elected to the Dáil, my Fine Gael councillor colleagues in Longford have been on to me morning, noon and night stressing the importance of this issue. It is also important to give certainty to those who have land along the route, as well as State investments such as IDA parks. Investors from abroad require certainty about building units of certain specifications on sites. We must also ensure that our road network is safe. Operating roads at 120% capacity is unsafe, so we need finance to improve that.

If the Longford to Roosky N4 bypass could be included in the capital infrastructure plan it would provide a significant boost for the midlands. We have learned from past mistakes in terms of how much investment went into the greater Dublin area where the economy took off. Rural areas must be given a fair chance to compete also, but they cannot do it without the necessary infrastructure. We must therefore invest in infrastructural projects in order to achieve that.

I thank the Minister for attending the House to deal with this Topical Issue. I have also raised this matter with the Minister of State, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, who is also here. I have spoken to other Ministers about the issue too. We have to keep the pressure on in order to deliver this project and thus ensure that the midlands will have a fair chance to compete for investment on the national and international stage.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I take the Deputy's point about road safety, which is particularly pertinent. Safety has certainly been compromised in many places. One of my prime objectives as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is to reduce the number of road deaths and non-fatal road collisions. I will advise Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, of this particular project which the Deputy has raised and will ask them to consider it as one of the areas to be targeted for safety. The TII has been relieved of VAT on some of the money it collects in tolls, so that will now be targeted for road safety projects. The TII has identified four such projects for this year and several for 2018. While it is not certain, more funds might become available for the TII from a decision of the European Court on VAT. I hope the TII will use those savings to remedy accident black spots, including the Longford to Roosky N4 bypass project referred to by Deputy Burke. I ask the Deputy to bear that in mind and let us hope that what he has done today will bring us closer to safer roads and fewer road deaths and non-fatal accidents. If this particular project is considered in that light it should perhaps be given a higher priority than others.