Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 473: To ask the Minister for Transport the policy direction given to the National Roads Authority to ensure that there is connectivity between the gateway towns of Athlone, Mullingar and Tullamore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28094/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The planning, design and implementation of national road improvement projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) and the local authorities concerned.

The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) which identified the towns of Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar as gateways provides for a twenty year planning framework designed to achieve a better balance of social, economic, physical development and population growth between regions.

In line with the NSS, the central theme of Transport 21 is the connectivity of all regions with each other. One of the objectives of Transport 21 is the improvement of a number of national secondary routes including the N52 from Dundalk to Nenagh and the N80 from Moate to Enniscorthy. The construction of the N6 Kinnegad to Athlone which is a major interurban scheme is underway for completion at the end of 2008.