Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Kyne for raising this important issue. Approximately €616 million of Exchequer capital funds has been provided for national roads through Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Tll, to local authorities in 2022. The 2022 funding allocations are made having regard to the National Development Plan 2021-2030, which balances investment in transport against other priorities of Government, such as housing and health over the lifetime of the national development plan, NDP.

Exchequer funding under the NDP will facilitate continued protection and renewal of our national roads infrastructure, including motorways, and will allow for the development of a number of new road projects in line with Government policy. Approximately €5.1 billion of Exchequer funds is earmarked for new national road projects across the lifetime of the NDP. This funding will, among various objectives, contribute to the achievement of two key national strategic outcomes under the national planning framework, namely, enhanced regional accessibility and compact growth. The greater part of this funding will become available in the latter half of the plan. Some €4 billion will come on stream in the second half of the decade, with €1.1 billion earmarked for the period 2021 to 2025.

Taking this funding profile into account, it is necessary to prioritise the available funding to achieve the key outcomes of the NDP as it applies to the development of the national roads network. To this end, Tll prioritised funding allocations for 2022 to achieve the following outcomes: maintenance of existing national road assets, thereby helping to maintain them to a safe and robust standard; progression of projects currently under construction and those close to construction, such as the N5 Westport to Turlough project and the Dunkettle interchange upgrade; progression of the three major projects pre-decision 2 in the public spending code, namely, the N6 Galway ring road, N21-N69 Foynes to Limerick, and M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy projects; and prioritise any remaining funds projects further back in the development pipeline that provide for local bypasses, town centre first and compact growth. This builds on the large-scale investment in national roads that has taken place over the past 20 years, which has greatly improved regional connectivity.

The N59 Clifden to Maam Cross to Oughterard project was identified in the last national development plan as a key piece of infrastructure to be developed to planning, design and construction. This major project was refused planning approval by An Bord Pleanála in 2016. However the Clifden to Maam Cross section of the project was reactivated in 2020 and is in the NDP 2021-2030. An initial strategic assessment report was submitted to the Department of Transport in April 2021 and an updated report was submitted in November 2021. It is expected the report will be with the Minister for review and decision this year on whether the project will move to the next stage.

The N59 Maam Cross to Oughterard component of the original scheme, comprising 15 km of single carriageway, is now being delivered as a series of minor improvement schemes, the first of which, Maam Cross to Bunakill, was completed in July 2021. While this project is not being progressed in 2022, it will be considered for advancement next year.

Indeed, Senator Kyne outlined the Moycullen bypass. It is a great piece of infrastructure. I am familiar with this road from Clifden to Maam Cross as well. I hope these roads can be enhanced and improved upon and will get the attention they so desperately need. Discussion is ongoing.