Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Healy Eames for raising this issue. I will try to answer her questions in so far as the information is provided. I am speaking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey.

The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and funding of the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The implementation of individual national road projects, including the allocation of moneys to those projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority under sections 17 and 19 of the Roads Act 1993, in conjunction with the relevant local authorities concerned.

The agreed programme for Government includes a commitment, in the context of the NRA programme, that Claregalway is to be bypassed by 2012. Claregalway is located on the N17 and will be by-passed as part of the N17 Galway-Tuam road which is a national road project. The scheme is being advanced as a motorway and the motorway order and environmental impact statement was published at the end of 2007. A date for the oral hearing has yet to be announced. The 2008 allocation is €0.75 million. The Minister is confident that the commitment in the programme for Government will be delivered and that the Claregalway bypass will be in place by 2012.

In addition to the development of the N17 Tuam-Galway motorway, which will provide considerable relief to the town of Claregalway, Galway County Council has approached the Department of Transport about possible funding for an interim relief road. This proposal was put forward on the basis that it would provide relief from traffic congestion, in advance of the motorway, but also on the basis that a new road in the area would open up land for much needed housing and related development. A road designed to facilitate such development might qualify for funding under the Department of Transport's regional and local road strategic grants scheme.

In December 2007, Galway County Council was asked to supply additional information to support the proposal for an interim scheme. In particular, it was asked to give a breakdown of the estimated cost including details of the cost of land, construction costs, design and supervision, and other costs, to indicate the extent to which it would open up land for necessary development, and to indicate the financial contribution the council would make to the road, including the potential income from development contributions arising from development supported by the road.

A reply from the council is awaited. When the information is received, it will be examined in the Department of Transport to assess whether the proposal would quality for grant aid under the terms of the strategic grants scheme.

The work progressing on the major inter-urban routes will have a positive impact for all regions and is aimed at ensuring that critical bottlenecks on the network are dealt with. The national roads programme must focus on projects with benefits for all regions.

Three projects in the BMW region are under construction in 2008, two of which are in County Galway. The N6 Galway to Ballinasloe scheme, which consists of 56 km of high quality dual carriageway, is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2010. The N6 Athlone to Ballinasloe project, which consists of 19 km of high quality dual carriageway, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2009. A major programme of projects is in planning and includes the N6 Galway city outer bypass, the N17 Tuam bypass and the N17 Tuam to Claremorris project. The N18 Oranmore to Gort and Gort to Crusheen schemes have been prioritised in the National Development Plan 2007-2013. The N18 schemes comprise 49 km of high quality dual carriageway and it is expected that construction will commence on both of them in the last quarter of 2008.

The development of the Atlantic road corridor from Letterkenny through Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford will connect the national spatial strategy gateway cities. It has been a longstanding concept in the national roads upgrade programme and has now been reinforced by Transport 21. It is envisaged that the route will be upgraded substantially to dual carriageway road standard.

A number of significant projects have been completed on the Atlantic corridor in recent years including the N15 Donegal bypass, the N15 Clar to Barnesmore scheme, the N15 Ballyshannon to Bundoran scheme, the N17 Knock to Claremorris bypass, the N18 Newmarket-on-Fergus bypass, phase 1 of the N7 Limerick south ring road, the Lee Tunnel, the Croom bypass, the Youghal bypass and the Ennis bypass.

A central theme of Transport 21 is connectivity with the BMW region, that is, the improvement of strategic road links to and from the BMW region by upgrading the N2, N3, N4 and N5. There also will be targeted improvement of a number of national secondary routes, which are particularly important for regional development. Examples include the N56 Donegal coastal route and the N59 coastal route from Sligo via Westport to Galway.

The major investment in roads in the Galway region is being complemented by increased investment in public transport. Work is under way on the western rail corridor. This project, which is due for completion this year, will restore the rail link between Ennis and Athenry and will enhance commuter services between Athenry and Galway. Transport 21 also provides for the Athenry to Tuam section of the western rail corridor to be completed by 2011. Bus Éireann is upgrading its bus fleet throughout the country, including in the Galway area, through the deployment of 235 new buses funded by the Exchequer.