Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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69. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of his Department's plans for the proposed construction of the Limerick to Cork motorway as part of the Government's capital expenditure budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40436/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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This question relates to the Limerick to Cork motorway the proposed M20. 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. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for the NRA in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.

Because of the national financial position, there have been very large reductions in roads expenditure over the past number of years and based on current figures there will be a further reduction next year.  In 2007 there were grants of €2.375 billion available towards national, regional and local roads; these grants have fallen to €719 million in 2013. The NRA has a budget of €318 million for improvement and maintenance works on the national roads network in 2013. The reality is that the available funds do not match the amount of work which could be undertaken.  For this reason it is not possible to progress a range of worthwhile projects and the main focus has to be on the maintenance and repair of roads and this will remain the position in the coming years. 

In relation to projects of the scale of the M20, it is not feasible given current and future projections that the State would be in a position to build this from its own resources. Rather, it would be constructed through the PPP model. While this model involves the private sector carrying the construction risk, it does require the State to meet the initial design, planning and land purchase costs. In the case of the M20, to a significant degree more than any other roads project, these costs are prohibitive at present.

In 2011 I indicated to the NRA that they should withdraw their application to An Bord Pleanála for the M20 Cork to Limerick route. I was concerned that to proceed any further with the scheme to build the M20 would have exposed the NRA to significant costs arising from a consequent requirement to purchase the CPO'd land within a limited timeframe.  This would have had to be done without the reasonable prospect of proceeding to construction stage quickly . I do not believe the basis exists at present that would give confidence that a PPP of the scale of the M20 would be affordable or achievable and thereby justify commencing the project through planning again. However, this position is constantly under review.