James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding available for the national roads in 2025; if there will be funding for a project (details supplied) to take it through the next gateway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9325/25]

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. I will ask about the very important issue of the upgrade of the N25 between Midleton and Youghal. This is one of the most dangerous sections of national road in the country. It has a long record of multiple, fatal and serious road traffic accidents causing lifelong injuries for those who have been sadly impacted.

I have been very passionate about raising with the Government the matter of bypassing Castlemartyr and Killeagh villages. With funding due in the coming weeks, will the Minister fund the appointment of a design consultant, which has been promised, through TII funding?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy very much. I am aware that the progression of this project is of great interest to him and the local community. Indeed, I visited the area with him not so long ago and met community groups.

The Government has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. While the greater portion of this funding is to become available from 2026 to 2030, many road projects continue to be progressed. Projects already delivered in County Cork include the N22 from Baile Bhuirne to Macroom and the upgraded Dunkettle interchange.

The N25 Midleton–Youghal scheme includes bypasses of the villages of Castlemartyr and Killeagh, which the Deputy mentioned. The project would improve connectivity along the N25 corridor for all road users, including for freight traffic to the ports of Cork and Waterford and Rosslare Europort. The Deputy has advocated this very strongly. The project would also deliver quality-of-life improvements to the residents of Killeagh and Castlemartyr, reducing congestion, pollution and noise. This is in addition to the improvement in safety that would be provided for both villages.

In 2022, my Department provided an allocation to Cork County Council to progress a strategic assessment report for the N25 Midleton–Youghal scheme. This was submitted to the Department in January 2023. The concept and feasibility phase is now approaching completion. Cork County Council is preparing tender documents for the procurement of technical advisers to take the project through its next phases. This will include the selection of a preferred route option, along with detailed design and environmental evaluation. In 2024, this project received an allocation of €450,000.

I assure the Deputy that the delivery of this project remains an absolute priority of the Government. As I have discussed with him directly and as I know he appreciates, I will be announcing the funding for 2025 very shortly.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. I welcome his words on this and, as he has mentioned, the fact he came with me to visit the east Cork area, particularly the town of Youghal. Economically, Youghal needs a serious lift. People there have lost all faith in the Government. I do not believe the majority of the community there would have any issue with me stating that. As a local TD who lives there and who was born and raised in the area, I understand why. The lack of industry, jobs and investment and recent decisions on the large-scale IPA centre have led to a confluence of events in respect of which people are crying out for Government investment. A turning point in this regard will be the upgrading of the N25 corridor between Midleton and Youghal. More cars go through the village of Castlemartyr than travel on the Limerick–Galway motorway. This is a staggering statistic for a small, beautiful rural village. It goes to show how the lack of investment has had an effect. We have tailbacks and congestion stretching several kilometres in either direction morning and evening and this is having a huge impact on the quality of life. Does the Minister see why there is a need for the design consultant to be appointed urgently?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I do. I spent a fair bit of time with the Deputy in the region, including in Youghal and Castlemartyr. I met community groups too. I absolutely see the need for that. During the middle of the day, outside rush hour, you can see the level of traffic moving through. Colleagues and I have paid very particular attention to the submission I have received. I will be reviewing it. The Deputy has advocated extremely strongly on behalf of his community and constituents, and I want to see this project moving forward. I do not want to pre-empt any announcement because I need to consider the capital envelope we have in the round and how we will make the allocations, but the Deputy can be assured that the points he has made, not just this evening but continually and consistently, are well made and fully understood by me. I expect to be making announcements shortly in this regard, in a matter of weeks.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister and welcome his reply. I know from his time in the Department of housing that he has often faced down difficult challenges in respect of banging heads together to try to get results. It is not always achievable overnight; it takes years of hard work to make these things happen.

One of the positive decisions taken, for which I fought in the programme for Government submission I made, was on the need for multi-annual road funding to give certainty to contractors involved in capital projects. We had an outrageous system where, every six months, the process changed in some format. There was an issue around funding, weather had an impact, and there were public spending code issues. There are five or six administrative barriers that stop capital projects from progressing. I have great faith in the capacity of the Minister, who is new to his Department, to iron out the backlogs, but could he give me some insight into whether he intends to tackle the red tape associated with getting capital projects built in the area of road transportation?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Earlier, when answering other questions, both the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I were talking about the genuine importance of delivery during the term of this Government. We have many plans and strategies. We have seen improvements in our road network but the focus has got to be on delivering on projects.

The point the Deputy made on multi-annual funding for roads is one I agree with. It is not within my gift alone or that of the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, to provide the funding but we want to determine how we can advance it. It would give certainty to the part of the construction sector concerned, such that it could see a pipeline of work and scale towards doing what is required. That was my experience in the Department of housing. Multi-annual funding is important because it gives certainty regarding investment. It means people have work and can take on people. It means they will see a pipeline of significant works. I am more than confident that we will see a very significant improvement in our road network over the term of this Government. We are determined to achieve this. I have already discussed with officials the need to examine the next phase of road projects with a view to funding on multi-annual basis.