Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister, Deputy Ross. It is particularly significant that he is a former Member of this House, but the issue I am bringing up today is more significant. As a Senator based in Limerick city, the upgrade of the N20 to a motorway, the M20, between Cork and Limerick is the number one infrastructural project for both Cork and Limerick at the moment. If one travels from Cork along the N20 to Limerick at the minute, it is approximately 100 km in length and takes well over an hour and a half. In the last 12 to 14 months alone, there have been nine fatalities on that route, so we need the motorway from a safety perspective if for no other reason. It takes an hour and a half to drive 100 km. If one drives on the Limerick to Dublin motorway, the M7, it takes just over two hours to do double that, 200 km.

We speak about regional development, but we need to put it into action. We need balanced regional development where the Cork-Limerick-Galway axis acts as a counter-pole to Dublin, which is bursting at the seams. We need the M20 to grow this western corridor from Limerick to Cork. Many of my constituents in Limerick are commuting on a daily basis between Limerick and Cork. Likewise, many have businesses in both locations. A rising tide lifts all boats for us in the southern region. We want this M20 for this route between Limerick and Cork.

There are a couple of aspects to it. Route selection has already taken place, and the plan had gone to An Bord Pleanála. Due to finances, the project was discontinued in November 2011. What is now required from the Minister is a ministerial direction to restart the scheme. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, formerly the NRA, should be required to prepare an updated business case for this M20 route. It will stand on its own merits. It will grow and will provide the engine to drive growth in both Limerick and Cork. I understand it is a costly project, but the Minister will know, as a former member of the Public Accounts Committee, that we are looking for value for money. The construction of this route, which would be 80 km in length, would cut the time by about 30 minutes. One would be able to commute from Limerick to Cork in just over an hour. At the moment it takes at least an hour and a half. We are at a comparative disadvantage in the region, where we have a substandard road linking the second and third largest cities in Ireland. In terms of being a modern economy, we have to ensure that takes place.

Much of the work along the existing route selection - that is, environmental impact studies, motorway orders and oral hearings - had started with An Bord Pleanála. I understand the Minister will probably have to go through the same process again, but if it transpires that the existing route is the one chosen, much of the work will already have been done. I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this matter on the Commencement. What I want from the Minister today is a clear direction that he will get the planning process under way again. I know a mid-term review of the capital plan is due over the next year. Will he ask TII to upgrade the business case, which it can present to him so that he can kick-start the process again?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach. It is nice to be back. It does not seem like six years since I was in this House. The surroundings have not changed very much, although the occupants have.

Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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Not all of them.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Nearly all of them, although I must add that I have always been much fonder of the surroundings than the occupants.

Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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That is mutual.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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If the Minister is being totally honest, he misses this place.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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That is right. I congratulate the Members on being elected to the Seanad. It is a great honour. It will be a great Seanad. Seanad reform is coming and it is wonderful to have a House in which there is no Government overall majority ramming things through. The Government will have to talk to the other parties and Independent Senators to get legislation through. I welcome that and I believe the Seanad will play a significant role, which it has not played in the past. I look forward to being in the House frequently over the next five years.

I thank the Senator for the opportunity to address this matter. I welcome him in the Seanad although I am sorry he is here because he was a very good Member of the other House, as also applies Senator Coffey. No doubt they will be back in the Dáil in the near future.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding for the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, formerly known as the National Roads Authority, NRA, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Within its capital budget the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act.

Ireland has just under 100,000 km of road in its network and the maintenance and improvement of national, regional and local roads places a substantial financial burden on local authorities and the Exchequer. As a result of the financial position, there have been very large reductions in the Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure over the past number of years. For this reason the focus has had to be on maintenance and renewal rather than on major new improvement schemes. The proposed upgrade of the M20 was one of a range of proposed road development projects which had to be deferred.

The capital plan published in September 2015 outlined proposed transport investment priorities to 2022. The transport element of the plan was framed by the conclusions reached in my Department's strategic investment framework for land transport. This report highlighted the importance of maintenance and renewal of transport infrastructure together with targeted investments to address particular bottlenecks and critical safety issues. The capital plan provides €6 billion for investment in the roads network in the period to 2022, with €4.4 billion earmarked for the maintenance and strengthening of the existing extensive network throughout the country and €1.6 billion for new projects. Allowing for the commitments relating to the public private partnership, PPP, projects, the balance available for new projects within the available capital envelope was limited.

Given the funding constraints a project of the scale of the M20 would have absorbed asubstantial proportion of the budget for new projects. In those circumstances, as I understand it, the decision made by my predecessor was to provide for a mix of smaller scale projects across the country to address particular constraints, including bottlenecks and port connectivity. While it will not be possible to address all the demands for improvement schemes over the capital plan period, the plan provides for the gradual build-up in capital funding for the road network towards the levels needed to support maintenance and improvement works. In this context a number of important projects in Cork are included in the plan, including the upgrade of the Dunkettle roundabout and the N22 road between Ballyvourney and Macroom. In addition, the plan also provides that the N28 upgrade scheme will also commence, subject to necessary approvals.

We are all conscious that the recovery of the economy is generating spending pressures across the system, including capital investment needs. As part of the programme for partnership Government there is an increased emphasis on the need for spending on public services, but the Government still must operate within the EU fiscal rules and this constrains options. There will be a mid-term review of the capital plan, as Senator O'Donnell mentioned, and this will provide an opportunity to assess progress and consider what scope there is for increased levels of investment depending on economic growth. As regards the M20, I expect that the position with the project will be considered as part of the mid-term review.

Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael)
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I ask the Minister to request or direct Transport Infrastructure Ireland to carry out an updated business case for the M20. The business case conducted in 2009 clearly indicated the need for this route between Limerick and Cork. It is a huge concern and priority for my constituents in Limerick. Furthermore, the fact that there have been nine fatalities on that route in the past 12 to 14 months provides an added impetus for this project to get under way. The Minister should request the TII to produce an updated business case to be delivered to him and I ask him to inform the Seanad of the outcome of that business case review.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I take the Senator's point about the fatalities. It is very serious and I have heard it from many other sources aside from the Senator. I am not familiar with the road network of Ireland yet, but this is one that has been highlighted by the Senators and others. It is a serious point.

Regarding TII, I will not necessarily do exactly as the Senator wishes. However, I am due to meet representatives of the TII shortly, because I am meeting representatives of all of the semi-State bodies. I will put the question the Senator has asked to the TII representatives and listen to the case for why they should or should not do this. I will make a decision after I have talked to them.

Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister inform us of the outcome of that?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I will keep the Senator informed.