Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for attending this morning. I believe this is our first official interaction in this House. He is most welcome.

I want to highlight a stretch of the N25 road which runs from the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy bridge in County Wexford, through south Kilkenny and into Waterford city. I am referring specifically to the stretch from the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy bridge to the Luffany roundabout at Slieverue. On Monday night I attended a public meeting organised by a local committee campaigning for safety improvements and upgrading of the N25. Approximately 600 people were in attendance. The audience heard from local residents, the IFA, representatives of farming groups, the road haulage industry and representatives of truck drivers who travel that road and also, most significantly and poignantly, residents who unfortunately had suffered bereavement. In recent years there have been 12 fatalities, four of which have occurred since 2022. This road sees approximately 15,000 journeys and really serves as the main gateway for anybody in the south east who is travelling to work in Waterford city. Many people in my own County Wexford travel this stretch of road.

Since 2007 there have been discussions on upgrading this road. In fact, detailed design was done until 2011 when, unfortunately, due to the economic circumstances at the time, the project was shelved. It has been revitalised now and is progressing its way through the eight phases of development with TII.

I would like an update on where exactly this project is and what funding commitment is there. Unfortunately, to have a stretch of road in 2025 that has seen 12 fatalities in the past number of years is simply unacceptable. This road upgrade deserves prioritisation and the advocacy of that group. I commend the group on mobilising the local area. A total of 600 people is not an insignificant number to attend a public meeting.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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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.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State, and I welcome the commitment by the Government in the House today to funding the next phase, which is the design and environmental evaluation phase. It will be good news for the residents in the area.

One specific question that I ask the Minister to take up with his colleagues in Government and the Department of Transport is responsibility for the speed limit. There was quite a lot of discussion at the public meeting on the speed limit, whether it is to be set as a national road by TII or if it is the responsibility of Kilkenny County Council. Is there an opportunity to reduce that speed limit as it exists in those three high-collision areas from 100 km/h to 80 km/h? Perhaps the Department and the officials might come back to me on that.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I am more than happy to take that up with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and would suggest that the Senator puts those concerns in writing to TII, as I think he already has. A lot of this is about getting people together in the one discussion. There are multiple local authorities involved, a State institution and the Department over all with the budgetary and policy purview. I completely understand the concerns and agree with the need to review those speed limits now and not just wait until this project is finished. I will convey that to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.