Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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Thurles town suffers from severe traffic congestion. We have been promised a bypass for a generation or more. Ten years ago three routes for a bypass were proposed and one was selected. We have heard nothing about the bypass since. The general view is that we will not see a bypass of the town in my lifetime.

However, there has been some talk of work on an inner relief road proceeding. While it would not answer all of our problems, it would be a significant move forward. In January this year, the county council issued a statement saying that this scheme is important to the economic viability of Thurles and would support the social, recreational and business travel needs of the town and district. Transferring town centre traffic to a purpose-built link road would also have safety benefits, particularly for pedestrians. The project provides for a second bridge crossing over the river Suir within the town environs. A second bridge crossing in town is key. We are lucky in that we have four superb second level schools in our town, all of which are well attended. During the academic year, the traffic flow in the town is deplorable. Between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., traffic jams are such that it could take an hour to get from one end of the town to the other.

Other towns in our county have been lucky enough to have bypasses. Our town and Tipperary town are the two towns that are suffering from traffic congestion. This link road got a mention in the famous Project Ireland 2040. When will money will be put in place, when exactly will this work commence and when can we hope to see this link road?

Plans are in place for Liberty Square in the centre of the town. Those plans are ongoing at the moment. Additional car parking will be provided. Retail activity in the town has suffered greatly from the traffic congestion. This redevelopment of Liberty Square, which is the centre of Thurles town, is still dependent on the river crossing. Traffic flow will worsen following the redevelopment of the square. Members should not get me wrong. I am not opposed to the redevelopment, because the businesses in Liberty Square have to be given a lifeline. Something had to be done, because the centre of our town was dying.

It is essential that the inner relief road is put in place as quickly as possible. I would greatly appreciate a timeline for when the required money will be put in place. In January this year the local authority put down figures for what the inner relief road would cost. In overall Exchequer terms the cost would not be huge as it would be a short inner relief road. As I said, it would not solve all of the difficulties in our town. We had an inner relief road a couple of years ago and it greatly helped the western side of the town. We hope this relief road will do the same, but it is essential. In the 2014 plan we were told that after 2021 discussions would begin on whether this road could proceed. We cannot wait that long. The town is choking with the congestion and we need the road now.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The proposed Thurles inner relief road is a regional and local road project, while the proposed Thurles bypass is a national road scheme. In relation to an inner relief road for Thurles, which I understand would include a second bridge crossing over the Suir, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority and works on those roads are funded from the local authority's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The selection and prioritisation of works within its area of responsibility is a matter for the local authority.

Before the financial crisis, local authorities could apply on a regular basis for specific and strategic road improvement grants for the strengthening, widening or realignment of regional and local roads, including bridges. However, the extent of the cutbacks in grant funding during the crisis meant these grant schemes had to be curtailed after 2013 because expenditure on maintenance and renewal was falling so far short of what was required to maintain the regional and local road network. The current capital plan does provide for the gradual build up in funding for the road network, but it will take some years yet to reach the level required for the adequate maintenance and renewal of the network. For this reason there continues to be limited scope for funding projects under the specific and strategic grant programmes. Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under these grant programmes are assessed by my Department on a case by case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the public spending code and the Department’s capital appraisal framework.

The Department has revised the specific and strategic grant appraisal forms and associated guidance documents. A circular on this updated appraisal process issued to all local authorities on 19 April this year. Appraisals received from local authorities relating to road improvements under the regional and local road grant programmes will be evaluated vis-à-visprojects submitted by other local authorities. It is, of course, open to local authorities to advance schemes from their own resources and I understand that Tipperary County Council has been progressing some elements of the proposed inner relief road scheme in that way.

As regards a Thurles bypass, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport 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, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Within its capital budget, the assessment of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII. Given the many competing projects across the country, TII has to prioritise schemes. The projects included in the national development plan reflect the outcome of TII's prioritisation of projects in the context of the national strategic outcomes in the national planning framework. Unfortunately, the Thurles bypass was not one of the schemes included in the NDP on foot of that process.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his reply, even though the content of it does not rest well with me. In my initial comments I stated we would not see a Thurles bypass in my lifetime and the reply confirms this. With regard to the specific questions I asked about when funding will be made available, the local authority has made it a priority project and advancement of the project is wholly dependent on money being made available from the Department.

The retail businesses in the town cannot survive with the congestion there currently. The local authority's estimation of what this would cost is approximately €5.5 million and the lifeline it would give to our town is immense. It is galling that we have such a good rail infrastructure and we are within two miles of a motorway but the traffic congestion in the town is still hampering our development. In the past 30 years our town has seen closure after closure of factories. We consider that one of the major inhibitors to attracting jobs to the town is the congestion. Anyone trying to get from A to B in the morning or evening can lose 45 minutes to an hour getting from one end of the town to the other, which is hard to believe about a provincial town. A second river crossing is absolutely essential. It is very easy to understand why the congestion is there with only one river crossing in place. I implore the Minister to put in place a timeline for funding to be made available to the local authority so it can proceed with this essential infrastructure for Thurles. It is the only obstacle there at present. The local authority has prioritised this as essential infrastructure for Thurles and the economic viability of the town. We need a commitment on a timeframe for the funding.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I am afraid the Deputy is asking me for something I am not willing to give him, and I think he knows that. It is something to which I am unable to commit at this stage. While a limited number of road improvement projects were selected for funding in the Building on Recovery capital plan and in the extra capital plan review allocations, the Thurles inner relief road is not included among the projects identified for development in the period to 2021.

Tipperary County Council indicated to the Department a number of years ago that the estimated costs of competing land acquisition, advanced detailed design and the preparation of tender documents for the bridge and road construction stage of the project was in the order of €6.4 million. It is understood that Tipperary County Council has been undertaking some elements of further design work and land acquisition. This is being carried out by the council from its own resources. Tipperary County Council would need to submit an appraisal under the new appraisal process if it wishes to pursue grant funding for the construction of the scheme. In the meantime I must emphasise to the Deputy what I said in the first part of my response, which is very simply that the projects including the national development plan reflect the outcome of TII's decisions, and the Thurles bypass was not one of the schemes included in the NTP on foot of that process.