Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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514. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a specific allocation will be made to Monaghan County Council in 2017 for the planning and design of the N2 Clontibret to the Border route, in view of the importance of this particular project for the overall N2/A5 development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40915/16]

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 road projects is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the relevant local authorities.

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. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's Question to TII for direct reply. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days please contact my Office.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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515. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if specific funding will be allocated to the National Roads Authority to resume planning and design of a road (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40916/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​​Cavan County Council was provided with over €2m in the period 2007-2014 by my Department in connection with this project under the Strategic Non National Road Grants Scheme in order to bring this 75 km route to preliminary design stage. Due to budgetary constraints it is not possible to progress the scheme further at this point.

  The transport element of the Capital Plan sets investment priorities to 2022 and was framed by the conclusions reached in my Department’s Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport. Based on the findings in that report it is envisaged that maintenance and renewal of the road network will continue to be the main priority over the next period and the bulk of the roads capital budget, over €4 billion, is earmarked for such essential work with a further €600 million allocated for implementation of the PPP road programme which is already underway. In this context the East/West link was one of the schemes that it was not possible to include given the overall funding envelope available.  The construction cost for a scheme of this magnitude would be in excess of €150 million.