Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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612. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the degree to which he has considered the strategic nature of the proposals to upgrade Naas-Newbridge-Sallins bypass and the Obserstown Interchange-Monread Road roundabout in County Kildare; the extent to which either project is ready to proceed; the potential economic benefit arising in the event of approval; if he will provide consideration to these projects in the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10526/15]

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 is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.  

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 grants.  

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 simply 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 have acknowledged in previously responses to the Deputy and I reiterate again today that 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.