Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 291: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has received a report from the National Roads Authority on the feasibility or otherwise of an eastern bypass for Dublin; if so, when a decision is expected in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5027/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The implementation of individual national road projects, such as the proposed Dublin Eastern Bypass, is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Act, 1993 in conjunction with the relevant local authorities concerned.

As I indicated in response to a similar Parliamentary Question on 30 January 2008, two reports were commissioned by the NRA in 2000 and 2002 on the feasibility of constructing the Eastern Bypass. In the context of the launch of Transport 21 in late 2005, the NRA engaged consulting engineers to update these two studies by undertaking a further engineering and feasibility study of the Bypass. This study examines possible route options, forecasts traffic demand and reports on scheme costs for the various options examined. The report of this work was conveyed to this Department late last year and is currently under examination by my officials.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has received a report from the National Roads Authority on the feasibility or otherwise of an outer orbital road for Dublin; if so, when a decision is expected in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5028/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in respect of the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA, under the Roads Act, 1993 in conjunction with the relevant local authorities.

In 2007, the NRA completed an updated feasibility study of this proposed outer orbital project, in which finds that there is merit in constructing an Orbital Route linking Drogheda, Navan and Naas. The study is under detailed consideration within my Department.