Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 670: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his policy on funding for the A5 road project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14097/12]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 671: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his policy on investment in cross-Border transport projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14098/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 670 and 671 together.

Transport is one of the areas of co-operation under the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) process. Regular meetings of the Transport Sectoral Council are held, where transport issues, including investment, are discussed. The next Transport Sectoral is due to take place on 20th April 2012. In relation to the A5 cross-border roads project, as the Deputy will be aware in 2006 the previous Fianna Fáil led Government gave a commitment to co-fund the construction of the A5. However, they made no provision to meet the costs of the A5 post 2012 in either the Four Year Plan or the Infrastructure Investment Priorities Plan 2010 to 2016. Given that £400 million sterling was due to fall between 2013 and 2016 and given the current state of the country's Exchequer, it is not feasible to provide this level of funding in the coming years.

Therefore, at the North South Ministerial Council Plenary meeting on 18th November 2011, Ministers noted that the provision of further funding by the Irish Government for the A5 road was being deferred but that the Irish Government will provide £25m per annum in 2015 and 2016 towards the project. It was also noted that a new funding and implementation plan for the project would be prepared for agreement at the next NSMC Transport meeting with endorsement at the next NSMC Plenary meeting.