Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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574. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the progress of the proposed M20 Cork to Limerick motorway; his views on the importance of this piece of infrastructure to the region and the urgent need to progress this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29321/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 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 TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.

The Capital Plan published in September 2015 outlined proposed transport investment priorities to 2022. The transport element of the Capital Plan did provide for some targeted investment in a number of new projects in the Munster region including the N8/N25 Dunkettle Interchange and the N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom schemes. In addition, a number of other schemes targeted at removing bottlenecks and upgrading port access, will commence subject to necessary consents. It was not possible to include the M20 in the Capital Plan as the scale of investment to deliver it was not affordable.

I am conscious of the potential regional development benefits of an upgrade of the N20 and the significant interest in finding a means to at least restart planning work on a M20. While I will be checking with TII the status of work undertaken on the previous planning application, as things currently stand I do not have the funding available to progress this scheme.

I do expect, however, that the M20 Cork to Limerick motorway project will be looked at as part of the planned Mid-Term Review of the Capital Plan.