Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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First, I must say I am extremely disappointed that I must raise this issue in the Dáil tonight. As a Government Member, I am disappointed with the Minister's decision to withdraw funding for the N24 from Waterford to Cahir. This is a massively important infrastructure project for the south of the country and, indeed, the west of Ireland. Its importance has grown even greater with Brexit and the importance of the Rosslare Europort for getting produce out of this country.

The selection of the route for the N24 has been ongoing for a number of years. The fact that the Minister has decided to cease giving funding at this time means that consultants that have been employed on the selection of the route will now have to have their contracts suspended. County council representatives and employees have told me that the money that has already been spent on surveys, traffic management and all the different aspects of the selection of this route could now be wasted because if this project is suspended for a number of years, it will be necessary to go back to basics and start from scratch as regards route selection again.

However, I wish to make a point about the families and the development along the three corridors that are proposed for this route. There are three wide corridors being sterilised. They have been in this situation for a number of years. Industrial infrastructure projects, agrifood infrastructure projects, farm development projects and young people who want to build houses in this area find that the land is sterilised and there is no possibility of getting planning permission. I am working with a number of constituents who have spent money trying to get planning permission. Money is spent on having various surveys done. One man who wants to develop a farming enterprise has spent a lot of money on getting surveys done to confirm that the site was suitable, getting noise and pollution surveys carried out and so forth. Now he is told it could be up to seven years before he will be in a position to apply for planning permission.

This is just not good enough. I urge the Minister to reverse his decision to withdraw the funding from the county councils in respect of the ongoing consultancy work that was being done in order to advance the route selection. Some €2 million in 2022 would allow this work to continue. It is absolutely imperative that the county councils are allowed to keep their consultants employed and get the route selection finalised once and for all. When the route is picked we can argue about getting the funding to get the road in place, which is obviously very necessary for the economic development of the southern and western parts of the country. However, tonight I wish to make the point for the families and for the people with land with industrial potential who are on the three corridors. Their land has been sterilised for a number of years. With this decision by the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, it can continue to be sterilised for up to seven years. This is just not good enough. It is not right to put people in this position. I have raised this issue with the Taoiseach and I hope the Cabinet will revisit it. As I said, €2 million will allow the work to continue to get the route selected. It is imperative that there is a route selection in 2022 and that we can release land that is sterilised at present so it can be used for building houses or for whatever industrial or commercial development people want to take place on that land.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to clarify and explain the situation on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. He sends his apologies that he could not be present tonight. First, I acknowledge the situation Deputy Cahill has represented with regard to landowners and families who want to progress their plans for building a house for their family, starting a local enterprise or developing a farm enterprise, as well as the job creation involved. Having been involved with a number of areas where roads have been developed, I know that the route selection and preferred route options can be a cumbersome process and can delay things a great deal. It has a knock-on effect on families. I will certainly bring that main message the Deputy has raised to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, with regard to trying to move it on this year and to bring it to a certain stage whereby it will affect fewer people in the context of the sterilisation of land. I know the Deputy's key priority is to see the road developed given all the benefits it will bring. On top of that, however, it is important that we do not put people's lives on hold unnecessarily for too long. That is the Deputy's key point.

To give the background of the project, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding for the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP.

In the new NDP launched in October 2021, approximately €5.1 billion is earmarked for new national roads projects to 2030. That is a positive that will enable many projects to progress. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will provide for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects which are already at construction stage and those close to it, as well as the development of a number of others. The N24 project is included in the list of projects to be evaluated for progression and potential prioritisation during the period covered by the NDP. We know the importance of this as it will improve connectivity and accessibility between Limerick and Waterford. In addition, the project would provide improved access to international markets, as the N24 connects to the Port of Waterford and Rosslare Europort. The project could also improve the quality of life of commuters and local residents through improved journey times and the provision of new cycling and walking facilities. It is key that the N24 project could also enable connection to the Waterford greenway which will in turn connect to the south-east greenway running from Waterford city to New Ross.

With regard to progressing it this year and the funding allocated for this year, the fact that the greater portion of NDP funding for road projects becomes available in the second half of the decade means there is a constraint on the funding available for new projects or to bring projects such as the N24 forward this year. However, most national road projects in the NDP will continue to be progressed in 2022 and across 2023. Projects such as the N24 from Cahir to Waterford, which do not have the required funding to progress this year, remain part of projects for consideration in the NDP and will be considered for funding next year. Kilkenny County Council, as the lead authority in partnership with Tipperary County Council, has appointed Arup Engineering Consultants as technical advisers to progress the appraisal and early planning and design of this project. The route options selection stage has commenced, as the Deputy said.

A virtual public consultation dealing with constraints was held in May and June 2021.

Given funding constraints for 2022, as referred to earlier, TII is unable to provide an allocation for this project in 2022. The delivery programme for this project will be kept under review for next year and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII. Again, I will bring back the Deputy's main point to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, which is that if the project is delayed at this stage, it will affect people's livelihoods and plans for their land, farms and enterprises. It is the key part of what the Deputy is asking. I will ask the Minister to have that discussion with TII on the Deputy's behalf to see if we can get through this stage and on to the next.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the Minister of State's reply but the bottom line is that for 2022, funding is not available for this route selection. The whole road from Limerick Junction to Waterford is of major economic importance for my county. On the section from Waterford to Cahir, Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir urgently need the bypasses this road would provide.

As I stated, this concerns the people who have been affected by the delay in route selection. Their land has been sterilised for a long number of years at this stage and it is just not acceptable that they would have to wait at least another 12 months. The Minister of State has held out the olive branch of it being in the national development plan, with funding to be provided in 2023. That is not much good to me when a person comes into my constituency clinic who has been working hard on getting planning permission for the past number of years but has been told to wait again to see what happens with route selection.

A sum of €2 million would keep the consultancy process on the route going. That is not a huge request. As I said, I raised this matter with an Taoiseach. I urge the Minister of State to revert to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. For the sake of €2 million and in the interest of fairness, he should let the selection of the route proceed. That is a fair and reasonable request. If we spoke about commencing the road project, we would be talking about far greater sums. This is about route selection and it has been an ongoing process for a long number of years. I urge the Minister of State to revert to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and say that the area has been sterilised for a long period. It is in a very strategically important part of the country. This delay is sterilising the potential of the towns along the route, including Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir. I urge the Minister of State to go back to the Minister and get the €2 million fund required for the consultancy process to proceed and allow selection of the route to happen in 2022.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this matter and firmly putting across the main concern he has for this year. Again, I will bring this back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I am at pains to indicate on his behalf that he is not personally involved with every decision on each project being brought forward. His main aim was to increase the budget allocation to the national development plan for road projects like the one mentioned here, the N24. He wants to ensure that through the work of the national development plan, such projects are completed. I will ask him to raise the matter outlined by the Deputy, which is that stopping the process now will cause undue delays and hassle for families that want to get on with plans for their livelihoods. I will make that point to him very clearly. Perhaps he could use his influence with TII on this project but I should be clear that he does not make a personal decision on each individual road project. He must allocate the money and ensure we are making progress overall as well.

The Deputy has made the case well and I am very familiar with it. When land is sterilised this way, it can really affect individual families. As communities, we all want to see projects and bypasses happening because of their associated benefits but it can be a difficult time as the route selection process is gone through. I undertake to bring the Deputy's concerns back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I will ask him to correspond directly with the Deputy. It is important to point out that this N24 project is still included in the overall plan and its progression is paused for this year. The €616 million in capital funds is required for other projects that are near completion and so on. It is important to realise that this project is continuing, although I hear the Deputy's argument that he wants to ensure this decision on route selection can be completed in 2022. I will bring it back to the Minister to see if there is any way it can be done with the available funds.