Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)

I thank the Senator. This is our first official engagement. He should not tell the world we had dinner together last night. Let us keep it official as far as possible.

As the Senator is aware, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TII.

The Government has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021-30. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility throughout the country as well as compact growth, which are key strategic objectives. The funding will provide for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects which are already at construction stage and those close to it.The funding for new roads was phased across the period of the NDP, with €1.1 billion allocated for national roads from 2021 to 2025 and €4 billion allocated between 2026 and 2030. As the greater portion of this funding becomes available in the second half of the decade, this means that TII has been unable to provide funding over the past three years for the N25 Waterford to Glenmore scheme. However, approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2025 alone.

The N25 Waterford to Glenmore project would link the N25 New Ross bypass and the N25 Waterford city bypass and is expected to consist of approximately 9.4 km of high-quality road, completing the upgrade of the N25 between New Ross and Waterford. This would also address the safety issues on the stretch of the N25 between Glenmore Hill and Luffany roundabout. With regard to the status of this project, the preferred transport route was selected in 2021. As the scheme did not receive an allocation for 2025, it cannot progress to the design and environmental evaluation phase at this time and remains at the end of the route options selection phase. Subject to the ongoing NDP review, it is intended to fund this project next year to complete the route selection phase and to commence the design and environmental evaluation phase.

With regard to improvements to the existing road, the Minister understands from TII that three high-collision location sites have been identified in recent years on this section of the N25. One site at Curraghmore was improved as part of a pavement scheme in 2020 and saw the introduction of central hatching and ghost island junctions. Another at Gaulstown involved roadside boulders being removed and I understand that at Ballynamona, a fixed-speed camera has recently gone live. In recent years, substantial lengths of timber post and rail fence along this section of the N25 have been replaced with tension mesh fence, making the roadside boundary more forgiving. The signage at the end of the southbound climbing lane near Glenmore is under review by Kilkenny County Council. A scheme to improve this has been designed and is expected to be implemented in the coming months.

Work is starting on this project but I think we all agree that it needs to happen quicker. We are looking into 2026 to really get the emphasis on this project. I am more than happy to take back the concerns the Senator has raised here in the Chamber this morning but also to make it clear that these are the concerns of a sizeable amount of the local population, and they are more than happy to mobilise to get behind this project. I will refer that to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and make sure we get this project delivered as quickly as possible.