Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1589. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the serious and regular traffic gridlock in Letterkenny, County Donegal; and if he will amend the Government's capital plan to ensure that the N56 Letterkenny relief road, known as the Bonagee link, will be funded at the earliest opportunity. [1195/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme.  Within its annual budget the planning, design and implementation of individual road projects (such as the N56 Letterkenny Link road) is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Decisions on the transport elements of the Capital Plan 2016-2021 were 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, approximately €4.4 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 N56 Letterkenny Link Road was one of the projects that it was not possible to include given the overall funding envelope available.  The transport element of the Capital Plan is based on a gradual build up in capital funding for the road network from the current relatively low base towards the levels needed to support maintenance and improvement works. Funding will continue to be tight in 2017 with a modest increase in the budget.  It is expected that funding will be stepped up in 2018 and 2019 and then a significant ramp up will follow from 2020. My Department has to work within the budgets included in the Capital Plan. As regards the possibility of additional funding within the Plan period, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform indicated in his budget speech that he is bringing forward the Capital Plan review.  There is a strong case for additional funding for the transport sector which I will make robustly.  However, the parameters for the review and the final decisions on allocations are matters for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Government as a whole.