Dáil debates
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Road Projects
9:20 am
Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I raise the issue of the abysmal allocation made by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in respect of progressing the Mallow northern relief road scheme when the allocations for 2024 were announced recently. The allocation made for the Mallow relief road, as we call it, was €300,000. This is a paltry figure given that the project is progressing rapidly. A preferred route has been selected and I contend that the project is further along than most others elsewhere in the country. I want to see an additional allocation made so that we can progress this project to planning stage.
If the Minister of State tells us the €300,000 allocation has been made to progress the project to design and environmental evaluation stage, we will accept that €300,000. We are looking for what I will describe as the equivalent of two RTÉ exit packages. If we had two times €450,000, the impact would be such that the project would be able to go to planning. The impact of that in ameliorating traffic flows and improving people's quality of life would be absolutely immense.
I anticipate the Minister of State will tell us there were constraints this year. As I understand it, more than €400 million in Exchequer funding has been allocated for projects of this nature. All we are asking for is an in-year additional allocation of approximately €900,000, on the basis that the preferred route has already been selected. We are not at stage zero but beyond it. The preferred route has been chosen and the €300,000 allocation will get us to design and environmental evaluation stage. However, the equivalent of two RTÉ exit packages would get us to planning stage. If we can get to planning stage on this project, the benefits, given where Mallow is located between Cork and Limerick, would be immense and would provide great relief in fulfilling Government policy. Stated Government policy is about reinvesting in towns and town centres, freeing up traffic, having people move back to and living in town centres again, and providing the relief to congestion that is vital to towns like Mallow.
I appreciate that the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, is not here and I appreciate that this matter is being taken on his behalf. I do not fully expect the Minister of State to be across the details because this does not fall under his line Department and the response has been provided to him by the Minister for Transport. I fully accept that. There is a roster for Ministers of State taking what we call Topical Issues. However, I make the case that of the more than €400 million that has been allocated, all we want – I will repeat it for the third time – is the equivalent of two RTÉ exit packages. If we take Breda O’Keeffe’s exit package of €450,000 and double it, that would get us to planning. In relative terms, the impact of such an allocation would bring untold benefits.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this important issue on national secondary routes and, in particular, the Mallow relief road. As he outlined, I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who is unable to be here.
The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding with regard to 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.
The Government has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. 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.
As the greater proportion of this funding becomes available in the second half of the decade, this has meant that there is a constraint on the funding available for new projects in 2024. However, approximately €412 million of Exchequer capital funds were provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2024.
Having regard to the funding constraint outlined, it was not possible to provide an allocation to all national road projects in the NDP for 2024. However, the majority of projects did receive funding, including the Mallow relief road project which has received an allocation of €300,000. A preferred route for the scheme has been selected and it will now progress through the design and environmental evaluation phases. As with all national roads projects in the NDP, the delivery programme for the Mallow relief road project will be kept under review in future years and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII.
With regard to the national secondary road network more generally, there are a number of projects referenced in the NDP, including the Listowel bypass, which is under construction, and the Moycullen bypass, which has been completed. The 2024 allocations also provide targeted interventions on a number of roads, such as the N86 between Tralee and Dingle and the N59 between Maam Cross and Oughterard. Many national secondary roads are “lifeline routes”, which are the only acceptable route available in remote areas. As such, it is vital to keep them in a safe and robust condition.
I also have experience of the need for a relief road, a distributor road, for the town of Athy. We waited for it for 40 years and when it was officially opened by the Taoiseach on 31 October last year we saw first-hand the massive benefits. The benefits extend beyond taking traffic off the main street of a town and include pedestrian routes and cycleways as well as connectivity to the train station that was never envisaged for certain estates in the town. There has also been a modal shift in Athy as 18- and 19-years-old, who would always have felt they needed a car, have come to realise they can now cycle to the train station in five minutes, which is much more accessible. The town's main street has also been enhanced. The next element will be to invest heavily in the main street, including in widening footpaths. The retail experience in the centre of town is key. A road is not just about cars; it is much broader than that, so I get why the people of Mallow want a relief road. With €5.1 billion earmarked to deliver these projects under the NDP, there is a determination across government to see the positive benefits we see in Athy being delivered to towns such as Mallow. I look forward to seeing that happen.
9:30 am
Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I note the Minister of State’s comparison between Athy and Mallow. They are very similar towns. I note the benefits accruing to the people of Fermoy now as a result of the recent allocation. The reason I know about Athy is that my colleague, Senator Mark Wall, has been a strong advocate for it, as the Minister of State knows. His father, Jack Wall, probably got the project put on the agenda of the NDP in the first instance. If we are talking about projects of that nature, if the Minister of State and his Government see the benefits of a relief road to Athy, hopefully they will translate that philosophy to the town of Mallow.
I wish the people of Listowel, Moycullen, Tralee, Maam Cross, Oughterard and all of these places the very best of luck. I note these projects are on what are deemed to be "lifeline routes". I have never heard that expression before in my life. I suggest that if we are going to ameliorate traffic flows through the town of Mallow, much of which is HGV traffic, then we will need to progress this project.
If we consider that one person in RTÉ can get an exit package of €450,000, if that figure was doubled, it would be small money in terms of the €5 billion the Minister of State spoke about or the €400 million that has been allocated for this year. I continue to make the case that the same logic applied to Athy be applied to Mallow. These key towns that service big populations and people in them need to see their towns flourishing again and free of the congestion that has plagued them for so many years.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Again, I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this important point. I completely understand the need and desire to see progress in this area. Unfortunately, if we are to continue the analogy with Athy, we were a long time waiting as it is a slow process that is exceedingly frustrating for everybody who is impacted. Public representatives have to stick with it and continue to highlight the issues to get projects through each of the phases that can cause delays along the line.
In line with the NDP and Government policy, the Minister for Transport has allocated national road funding for 2024 in a manner which seeks to achieve the following key outcomes: protection and renewal of the existing national road network; progressing major projects in or near construction; progressing major projects which are pre-construction but well advanced in the development pipeline; and prioritising any remaining funds for major projects which provide for local bypasses and compact growth in Ireland’s towns and villages.
The programme for Government commits to continued investment in new roads infrastructure to ensure that all parts of Ireland are connected to each other. In support of this, during the period between 2020 and 2024, approximately €366 million in Exchequer capital funding was allocated for the national road network in County Cork, which Deputy Sherlock represents. This has resulted in many improvements to the network, as demonstrated by the Dunkettle interchange project, which was recently opened. National secondary roads have also benefited from this investment and we look forward to seeing more investment in these roads and projects such as the Mallow relief road being progressed in the near future.