Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Will the Taoiseach progress the Killarney bypass scheme which has been suspended for many years and which way back in 2003 was scheduled to be completed some time in 2009. The new bypass is, or was, to begin on the western side of Farranfore, bypass Killarney and join the N22 to Cork and the N72 to Mallow at Lissivigeen. Another segment of the scheme is to link Muckross Road to Moll's Gap with the N22 and the N72 also at Lisivigeen. Specific plans are ready and the route has been determined and identified by the very capable staff of the National Roads Authority or Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, as it is now known, and in the national roads design office in Castleisland. The new bypass is critically important to the town of Killarney and the county of Kerry. From early May to late September every year traffic jams are a regular occurrence, especially in the morning and the evening, with people being left to sit in cars on Muckross Road, Hans Liebherr Road, Mission Road, the Tralee road to Cleeny Roundabout and the N22 from Roadstone Wood Limited's quarry at Minish all the way into town. If the bypass was in place, it would help to eliminate most of the accidents and the slaughter that occurs at the dangerous junctions around Killarney, namely, that at the top of Lewis Road, Madam's Hill junction, the Woodlawn Road-Clasheen junction and at Coolcaslagh, as well as the very dangerous junction in Farranfore village heading for Firies and Currow. Killarney is, without question, the tourism capital of the world. Built by many great local families and businesspeople, it operates the very best of hotels, restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. It has jarveys, bus operators, bicycle shops and the wonderful INEC events centre, ably assisted by the Tidy Towns committees and the chamber of commerce. The existing bypass linking Muckross Road with the Tralee road at Cleeny Roundabout is now recognised by engineers and management of Kerry County Council to be operating at maximum capacity, carrying more than 18,600 vehicles daily. Figures recorded also indicate that 12,000 vehicles pass through Farranfore daily. A total of 12,000 vehicles also use Muckross Road. The scheme which has been suspended for many years needs to be reactivated urgently.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for referring to a very important roads project. The House will know that between 2011 and 2014 I had the pleasure to be Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. Therefore, I know the road very well having travelled up and down to Killarney many times. I have also been stuck in Macroom having had to pass through Ballyvourney and other towns.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach now sounds like the former Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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If I remember correctly, when I was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, the project got stuck in legal issues. There was a heritage case or a case involving property that held it up. The Government is keen to progress the N22 bypass project which would connect Killarney, Ballyvourney and Macroom, but I cannot make any commitment to the Deputy today. However, we are in the process of allocating additional capital resources to announced in the budget next week and the subsequent ten year plan. I am keen to see the road project move to construction as soon as possible.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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First, I have to clarify that the Taoiseach is talking about the Macroom bypass, a project we are looking forward to being progressed.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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We will take the two of them.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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As we know that the Taoiseach is not long in the job, we will excuse him. I am referring to the bypass which will link Tralee and Cork without the need to pass through Killarney. IBEC has told us clearly that Ireland has the fewest number of infrastructural projects in Europe, either under way or ready to go. Most of the country, with the exception of Dublin, is standing still. I call on the Taoiseach and the new Minister of State with responsibility for transport, Deputy Brendan Griffin, to reactivate the Killarney bypass scheme and give fair play to the people of Killarney and County Kerry. Give them a chance to breathe because the town is choking and we badly need the bypass for reasons of access and safety.

Will the Taoiseach look at it as I can see now he did not understand what I asked about in the first place. This is a very important matter for the people of Kerry. It was meant to be finished in 2009 and we know what happened to the country. Will the Taoiseach reactivate this because it is a very important project for the people of Kerry?

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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On the right project this time.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I offer my profound apologies and stand corrected. I am getting my Kerry road projects mixed up.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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In Macroom.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Macroom is in County Cork.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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There are so many of them, of course. I opened the three bypasses at Dingle, Castleisland and Tralee myself a few years ago. I would have to check with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport what is the exact status of the project. There will be further allocations for road spending as part of the ten-year capital plan.

Under what we are planning already, there will be an additional €4.1 billion in capital spending over the next number of years. We will see capital spending - investment in infrastructure in Ireland - increasing by approximately 70% to 80% over the next number of years, bringing us from being one of the lowest spending countries in terms of infrastructure to one of the highest spending in the European Union by 2021. If I look back just over the past five years and what has been done, we have connected the Luas lines and joined them to the mainline rail network. That will open in December to passengers.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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Is there another election coming?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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We have solved the problem at Newland's Cross. We have upgraded the N11 at New Ross and Enniscorthy. It is under way.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Government cancelled metro north.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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We are talking about Kerry.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Gort to Tuam motorway opened last week.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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The Taoiseach needs to move west and a bit south.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Tralee bypass opened in the past five years, as did the new section of the road to Dingle. There have been 50 primary care centres opened and hundreds of new schools have been built across the country or extended. A national sports campus has been built. A national children's hospital will soon be under construction.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach is hardly taking credit for the national sports campus.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I am asking about a bypass.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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If that has been done in the past five years when we had almost no money at all, imagine what we will do in the next ten years.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I know what have to do; we should take the Red Cow out of where it is.