Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. In a personal capacity, it is an area I love. It is the most beautiful part of Ireland, as far as I am concerned, and I have an interest in the place. With the walks and other projects for which we are providing funding, it has a very bright future. It is one of the most beautiful parts not just of Ireland but of the world. We must make sure we protect it in whatever way we can.

I thank the Senator for the opportunity to discuss this issue in the House on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Varadkar. I am sure all Members of this House will now be well aware that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport has responsibility for overall policy and funding in regard to the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads, such as the N59, is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

I am aware that the route in question is well known as one of the most important tourist routes in the country and is the principal access to and through Connemara and the many tourist attractions of the region, including Kylemore Abbey, Connemara National Park, the iconic landscape that envelopes the N59 route and the numerous towns and villages that draw tourists from home and abroad.

The N59 Oughterard to Clifden scheme originally consisted of a 44 km upgrade of the existing road. I understand that, due to environmental issues, it was decided in June 2012 to divide the scheme into two sections, namely, the N59 Oughterard to Maam Cross section and the N59 Maam Cross to Clifden section. The preliminary design, environmental reports and compulsory purchase drawings for the N59 Oughterard to Maam Cross section were prepared first and submitted to An Bord Pleanála for approval in October 2012. As regards the Maam Cross to Clifden section of the scheme, further environmental studies are required before environmental reports can be produced. It is anticipated that this section of the scheme will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála in July 2014. Oral hearings into objections to the N59 Oughterard to Maam Cross section were held in February 2013 and re-opened in August 2013 to revisit some aspects of the environmental impact statement, as well as compulsory purchase order-related issues that arose at the first hearing.

An Bord Pleanála approved the N59 Oughterard to Maam Cross project on 23 December 2013. The highly sensitive and protected environment of Connemara, combined with traffic volumes of fewer than 5,000 vehicles per day, have made it difficult to justify significant realignments. In regard to improvements or realignments to the route, Galway County Council has procured consultants to prepare design and contract documents for the 10 km section of this project between Bunnakill and Claremount. An allocation of €1 million has been provided to Galway County Council for the N59 Clifden to Oughterard scheme in 2014. In addition, stimulus funding of €200,000 has recently been provided to Galway County Council for advance works on the Bunnakill to Claremount section ahead of construction of the N59 Oughterard to Maam Cross scheme. The advance works will include ground investigation, archaeological works, fencing of acquired lands, works on a section of the Connemara greenway and other areas of work related to peat restoration areas and advance bridge works.

As regards the timeframe for completion of the scheme, future progress on this scheme is subject to both the outcome of the decision of An Bord Pleanála on the second section of the project and the availability of future funding. It should be noted that the section of the N59 from Oughterard to Clifden is part of the overall route to Clifden and, of course, the most heavily trafficked section is from Galway to Oughterard. Within a constrained budget, the Department and the NRA continue to improve facilities for both motorists and cyclists along this route. In this regard, my Department recently announced a grant of €2 million for a greenway between Galway city and Moycullen. As part of the recent stimulus moneys, the NRA will shortly commence works on widening a 1.1 km section of road south-east of Moycullen village at a cost of €1.5 million.