Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on the recently announced Regional and Local Roads Programme 2009 and the National Roads Programme 2009; the road building, maintenance and upgrade projects which will not proceed in view of the €240 million reduction in the national roads budget for 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5813/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Transport his priorities for the development of the roads capital programme over the next five years in view of the prevailing or anticipated economic climate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6188/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 275 together.

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 is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Act, 1993 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

My Department's allocation for National Roads Projects in 2008 was €1.657 billion. In 2009 the allocation is €1.449 billion.

The upgrading of the major interurban routes connecting Dublin with the Border, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford is on target for completion, as promised, in 2010. Work is now completed or well underway on the whole major inter-urban network. The M1 to the Border was completed in 2007 and, by the end of this year, over 70% of the routes will be open to traffic.

The Government has already made it clear, under Transport 21, that priorities for the roads investment programme after the completion of the major interurban network in 2010 will be the Atlantic Road Corridor as well as the improvement of other key national primary routes and the targeted improvement of certain national secondary routes.

Because of financial constraints the NRA has not been able to proceed with some of its planned work in 2009. This work will proceed in later years as funding becomes available.

As regards regional and local roads, road grants totalling €607.5 million were allocated to local authorities on 2 February 2009. Expenditure of these grants is now a matter for each individual authority.