Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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616. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of plans for increasing the M7 to three lanes at Naas, County Kildare; his views that such an investment would improve the value of the National Asset Management Agency's site at Millennium Park, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4325/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, 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 such as the Naas Bypass widening is a matter in the first instance for the NRA in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.

Owing to the national financial position, there have been very large reductions in roads expenditure in recent years. The reality is that the available funds do not match the amount of work that needs to be done to maintain existing road infrastructure or address demands for new road improvement projects. Funding in 2008 was €2.3 billion while funding this year is around €730 million for the national, regional and local road network.  Unfortunately, the current financial realities are such that the budgets proposed for my Department for 2016 and 2017 indicate that capital funding will continue to be very tight, and my ability to progress new projects and PPPs is limited.

I acknowledge it is important to restore over time capital funding for the transport sector to ensure that infrastructure is maintained but, as of now, I am not in a position to give a commitment in regard to funding of the projects in question, although I acknowledge their national and local importance.