Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Mulherin. She has been an advocate for infrastructure during her time here in the Seanad because she has raised so many issues in relation to industry and small businesses with my Department. I can see her point that having critical infrastructure in place is really important.

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross. In his role, the Minister, Deputy Ross, has responsibility for overall policy and securing capital funding in relation to national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, the planning, design and construction of individual roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Project Ireland 2040 is the long-term overarching strategy to make Ireland a better place for all its people. Within that context, the national development plan, NDP, has been developed by the Government to underpin the successful implementation of the new national strategy framework. This provides the strategic and financial framework for TII's national road programme for the period of 2018-2027. In the ten years covered by the plan, more than €11 billion will be invested in the overall road network. The NDP identifies two categories of national road improvement projects. The first category covers projects to advance to construction subject to the satisfactory outcome of the project appraisal and development consent approval process. The second category relates to projects at pre-appraisal and early planning stage which have been assessed with a view to developing a pipeline of suitable projects for development.

Overall, TII considers that taking steady-state of PPP commitments into account, the indicative NDP budget will allow the projects in the first category to be progressed, and a pipeline of projects taken through early planning.However, it would not be possible to take all the pipeline projects through the development consent process or to construction stage within the timeframe of the NDP. The advancing of projects in the second pipeline category will therefore be subject to prioritisation within the overall national roads programme and funding.

I refer to the new bridge on the N26 at Cloongullane, Swinford. The preferred route for the proposed N5, N26, N58 Turlough to Bohola and Swinford to Mount Falcon road improvement scheme was adopted by Mayo County Council in July 2015. However, the Minister understands that TII informed Mayo County Council that the scheme could not proceed to phase 3 design at the time due to funding constraints and the requirement, as I have just mentioned, for TII to focus on the progression of those schemes that have been identified for development during the period of the capital investment plan 2016 to 2021 and subsequently the NDP. TII continues to focus on these key objectives. In the interim, TII agreed that the N26 Cloongullaune Bridge realignment should progress as a separate minor improvement scheme to improve the safety of this substandard section of the route. The scheme involves the realignment of a 1.8 km section of the N26 at Cloongullane bridge and a new bridge crossing over the River Moy. Mayo County Council submitted the scheme and the associated compulsory purchase order to An Bord Pleanála in November 2016. The oral hearing into the proposed road development was convened in March 2017 and An Bord Pleanála confirmed approval for the scheme in December 2018. Technical consultants procured by Mayo County Council are currently undertaking the detailed design of the scheme and preparing the tender documents. Mayo County Council has commenced the pre-qualification process in respect of the tender process and expects that construction will start on this project in quarter two of 2020.

The preferred route for the Ballina road project, which is the N26 and N59, was identified in 2006 and adopted by Mayo County Council in 2007. The project was then suspended and remains so. Mayo County Council has proposed a minor improvement scheme, the N26-N59 Ballina bypass phase 1, which comprises carriageway works of 2.1 km, with 1 km of new road construction and 1.1 km of road widening. That would link the N26 with the N59 and in doing so bypass the town of Ballina to the south west. The scheme is being considered as one of a number of minor projects that may commence appraisal, planning and design next year. Regarding major new road projects in County Mayo, the Minister is pleased to advise that the Government approved the awarding of the construction contract for the N5 Westport to Turlough scheme on 15 October. A letter of acceptance issued the following day. Mayo County Council and the contractor formally signed the contract on 29 October 2019. This project involves the construction of 20.3 km of dual carriageway from Westport to east of Castlebar and a 2.5 km single carriageway link to the N59 secondary road.