Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the commitment to progressing the co-funded A5 road project; if he will further provide an update on the engagement that he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive in respect of this co-funded project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41269/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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 5th October 2012.

In relation to the A5 cross border roads project, as the Deputy will be aware, the previous 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 Exchequer, it was not feasible to provide this level of funding in the coming years.

Therefore, at the NSMC Plenary meeting, on 8th 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.  At the subsequent June 2012 NSMC Plenary meeting, it was noted that the N.I. Executive had announced an investment package of major roads including two sections of the A5 project.  In addition, it was noted that the Irish Government remains committed to the completion of the co-funded A5 project which is of strategic importance to the North West Region and the island as a whole, but  that the Government is not in a position to make funding commitments for the period post-2016 in advance of its consideration of the next capital review framework.  The NSMC plenary approved a funding implementation plan for the A5 project to the end of 2016 which incorporated the £50m committed by the Irish Government.