Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Senator is right. There has been disappointment. Nobody likes to see a road project on schedule moving backwards. We want to see these projects continue to move forwards. Funding of €5.1 billion has been allocated to the roads programme up to 2030, and in that context the bare minimum required is certainty regarding when these projects can move to the next stage. The local authorities need to know, as do the impacted landowners and road users.

Some of these roads are very dangerous. They have a high frequency of accidents and require upgrading. I have undertaken already, and I do so again now, to bring the Senator's concerns back to the Minister for Transport and to try to ascertain a clear timeframe for these projects. I would like to see a clear timeframe for work to be undertaken on the road from Mullingar to Longford. It is a busy road and one with a high frequency of accidents. It went through various stages of work to 2010, and was then paused. I do not want to see this project paused again. I undertake to raise Senator Boyhan's concerns with the Minister for Transport and to ask him to respond directly to the Senator.