Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Murphy for clearly articulating the importance of the N61 project. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in respect of the national roads programme. I am responding on his behalf.

Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is then a matter for Tll, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Tll ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework, NPF, and the NDP.

Under the revised NDP launched in October, approximately €5.1 billion is earmarked for new national road projects to 2030. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will provide for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects that are already at construction stage and those close to it, as well as the development of a number of others. The progression of any project will be subject to compliance with Government policy, availability of funding and further approvals. All projects under the NDP or, indeed, any proposed projects outside of the scope of it will typically require the necessary approvals under the public spending code. This will include Government approval in cases where project costs are estimated to be above €100 million.

In line with the public spending code and planning requirements, two sets of approvals are typically required for a proposed new national road project to proceed to construction: approval at specific decision gates under the code, including of the project business case, and approval by An Bord Pleanála of an application for development consent. The necessity to meet the requirements of the public spending code and any applicable planning consent, along with an adequate capital budget, are key to delivering national road projects.

The N61 is a national secondary route in County Roscommon, connecting Athlone to Boyle via Roscommon and Tulsk. Regarding the N61 Ballymurray to Knockcroghery element, Tll has provided an update on this scheme. Technical advisers were appointed in early 2019 to progress the planning and design of the scheme. The scheme has now progressed through the route option selection phase. Environmental and technical surveys have been completed and an emerging preferred route was identified in late 2021. The emerging preferred route was presented to the public in December 2021 and January 2022. Given funding constraints in 2022, TIl was not in a position to provide funding to progress the overall scheme in 2022, as the Senator outlined. However, I refer to the earlier point made in the response I have given. The completion of projects that are already at construction stage is where many of the resources are going at present. Obviously, a lot of money has gone into this project to get it to this stage and I am sure it will progress in time and that the investment will not be lost. For now, however, TII has not allocated funding to it for 2022.