Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 701: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide in detail his response to the decision of an Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission for a bypass at a location (details supplied) in County Meath which he promised within 90 days of the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31994/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

The grounds for the refusal of permission for the bypass included the fact that An Bord Pleanala was not convinced, inter alia, that all possible traffic management alternatives had been fully explored. Statutory responsibility for traffic management rests with the local authority. The NRA has informed me that it has undertaken to support Meath County Council in the examination of traffic management options. In this context Meath County Council has been undertaking additional traffic survey work and will be liaising with the NRA over the summer on the response to the Bord's decision.