Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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646. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he expects to be in a position to provide the necessary funding for the commencement of works in respect of the upgrade of the Naas Newbridge bypass, Newhall interchange, Sallins bypass and Osberstown interchange; if he has received the requisite documentation from Kildare County Council or the National Roads Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5011/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding regarding the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads, such as the Naas Bypass widening, is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The assessment and prioritisation of individual national road projects is a matter for the NRA within its capital budget and in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act.

  With regard to the Osberstown interchange and the Sallins bypass the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources, supplemented by State road grants. The selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is, therefore, a matter for the local authority.

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.