Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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There is significant concern in the Limerick and mid-west area about maintaining and enhancing the competitiveness of the region. Unfortunately, we have seen a two-tier economy develop in this country - Dublin and the greater Dublin area versus the regions. We must work on competitiveness. One of the key pillars in this regard which is missing in the mid-west region is the M20 motorway between Limerick and Cork, the second and third largest cities in the country. The urgency cannot be lost on the Minister, his Department and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII. It is a source of considerable concern that a proposed route has been circulating from an unknown source that the proposed route is due to go via east Limerick on to Mitchelstown and connect onto the main Dublin to Cork motorway. That would significantly disadvantage west Limerick, north Cork, north Kerry and impact on the competitiveness of the region. That is not a runner. With that in mind I want the Minister to focus seriously on delivering the route which was originally planned, namely, the direct route from Limerick through Charleville, Mallow and on to Cork.

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister to the House. From the Deputies present he can see this is a regional issue not just a localised one. I could just talk about the need for Mallow to have a bypass but we have progressed beyond that. As Deputies Niall Collins and Michael Moynihan stated, the motorway is necessary for the economic development of the south west. The only benefit in terms of infrastructural progress the Minister gave to the south west in budget 2017 was the upgrade of the motorway at Naas to get the traffic down to us quicker, but he forgot to provide any traffic infrastructure in the south west. It is important the M20 motorway is progressed.

The reason we have raised the matter with the Minister today is because there is talk, which nobody seems to discourage, that the Department is perhaps using delaying tactics by putting information into the media to the effect that the motorway will go from Cork to Cahir and connect with the proposed M24, Cahir to Limerick road. From economic and time perspectives the proposal is a non-runner. As the crow flies Cork to Limerick is approximately 86 km. Cork to Limerick via Cahir in County Tipperary is 121 km. Why would we add mileage to the journey when motorways are built to help people get from A to B in a quicker time?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank all three Deputies for raising this very important issue. I am familiar with the arguments they make. They will be aware that I have heard about the issue from many other Deputies but nearly always from the Cork point of view, so it is refreshing to hear the view from Limerick presented by Deputy Collins. I take all their points of view seriously and I hope to be able to address them now.

I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. 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.

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. Given the national financial position, there have been very large reductions in Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure in recent years. For that reason the focus has had to be on maintenance and renewal rather than major new improvement schemes. The proposed upgrade of the N20 was one of a range of proposed road development projects which had to be deferred.

The capital plan published in September 2015 outlined proposed transport investment priorities to 2022. 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 State and €1.6 billion for new projects.

Allowing for the commitments relating to public private partnership, PPP, projects, the balance available for new projects within the available capital envelope was limited. Given the funding constraints, a project of the scale of the M20 would have absorbed a substantial proportion of the budget for new projects. In those circumstances, as I understand it, the decision made by my predecessor was to provide for a mix of smaller-scale projects throughout the country to address particular constraints, including bottlenecks and port connectivity.

While it will not be possible to address all the demands for schemes over the capital plan period, the plan does provide for the gradual build-up in capital funding for the road network towards the levels needed to support maintenance and improvement works. In this context a number of important projects in Cork are included in the plan, 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.

We are all aware that the recovery of the economy is generating spending pressures across the Government system, including capital investment needs. I am conscious of the potential regional development benefits of an upgrade of the Cork to Limerick link, and in this regard I agreed to TIl spending €1 million to undertake some early activity surveys and studies.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is progressing the review of the plan and my Department has made a submission putting forward a strong case for additional funding. The submission includes a request for funding for the development of a pipeline of road projects and I expect further planning work on the M20 to be considered in this context. Final decisions on the allocation of additional funding under the capital plan review are a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Government as a whole. I will review the scope for advancing the project further once the capital plan review is completed.

I understand the Deputies' frustrations. It is coming to me loud and clear that something ought to be done in this area. The size of the project is pretty forbidding in the current circumstances, but I would not rule out creative or imaginative suggestions in this regard.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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It is vital for the people of Limerick to know that when the road is built, it will have the shortest possible route, time and journey between the two locations, which is through Limerick, Charleville, Mallow and directly to Cork. The Minister would need to be pretty firm on that for us. The Minister referred to the size of the project. We recognise that it is going to be a very big project but there is no reason it cannot be broken down into phases at least to get it started. The Minister also spoke of the mid-term review of the capital programme. It is worth noting that many people made submissions, myself included on behalf of Fianna Fáil, for the mid-west. I will outline the submission briefly. The proposed M20 motorway was the first item we prioritised. We also included the proposed Limerick to Foynes motorway, the new 96-bed unit in the University Hospital Limerick in Dooradoyle, the relocation of the maternity hospital from the Ennis Road campus to the Dooradoyle campus-----

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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Time please, Deputy.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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-----the construction of the 90-bed block in St. John's Hospital, the construction of two new schools in Mungret and in Croom, and the upgrading of the junctions at Beary's Cross on the N24 and also on the N20 at O'Rourke's Cross.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy O'Keeffe wants to come in here.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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This is vital for infrastructure in Limerick.

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Yet again we are none the wiser with the Minster's answers. I asked Question No. 1376 more than ten Dáil working days ago. I have also yet to see a reply from Transport Infrastructure Ireland. We hope it will announce the decision being mooted out there that the route will continue to Cork and Limerick via Mallow and Charleville.

I will give the Minister a little history lesson. In 2008, the public consultation document identified the route from Cork to Limerick. I understand the situation was that we lost funding. In November 2011, our Cork and Limerick county managers were informed that proposed works and the agreed route that was designed to go to construction was postponed because of a lack of funding. I accept that but-----

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy must conclude.

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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-----on the same day, however, the then Minister, Deputy Varadkar, made an announcement to suspend public spending. He made a statement, “Given that we already have a large number of ‘shovel-ready’ projects which have been suspended until after 2016, there is little point in spending more money on planning new projects.” This project, however, had been agreed. It was shovel-ready and ready to go. I ask the Minister to do something about it, please.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I am sorry to cut across Deputies but the Topical Issue debate is for four different categories and four groups of Deputies. I would appreciate if Members would co-operate with me in this regard.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I take on board the Deputies' opinions on the alternative route but I cannot comment on things that are in any way leaked and unsubstantiated. Our ambition is to do what is absolutely the best for the area and the people. As I have already emphasised, the problem is the scale and the size. I take Deputy Collins's suggestion of building in stages as a constructive suggestion. The problem is that in building it now and spending the funds, it would use up virtually the entire capital allocation for the area. That cannot be done, I am afraid, and that is the truth. I would not rule out creative solutions in this case. When I speak of creative solutions, people get alarmed and they think there is going to be rerouting or a change of method. Do not ask me to comment on particular leaks but I will say that this project is still alive and it is intended to keep it alive, despite its size and its expense. Deputies Collins, Moynihan and O'Keeffe, among others, are keeping it alive. My Department is looking at ways of advancing it. There has been significant local pressure, we have found, at least to restart planning work on the M20 since the capital plan. The Department is conscious of the potential regional redevelopment benefits of an upgraded Cork to Limerick link, and the former Minister agreed to the spending of €1 million by TII to undertake some early activity surveys. This sends out the signal that this project is not being buried and is being kept very much alive. The scope for progressing the project further will be reviewed once the capital plan review is completed.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister and Deputies. It is not often easy when there are several Deputies speaking on one issue. I appreciate their co-operation.