Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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268. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the review to be carried out by his Department on a submission from Kildare County Council regarding the Athy ring road before the project goes to An Bord Pleanála; if this process will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3352/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As you know the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, such as the Athy Distributor Road, is the statutory responsibility of Kildare County Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The Capital Plan 2016-2021 provides that a number of schemes, including the Athy Distributor Road, targeting bottlenecks in the road network will be progressed subject to necessary approvals. In this context the project has to meet the requirements of the Public Spending Code and my Department's Common Appraisal Framework for Transport Projects as well has obtaining planning approval.  It is a matter for Kildare County Council to progress the scheme through the approval process.

As regards the planning approval process, the Council has advised my Department that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Screening report has been prepared and it concludes that an EIS is required. I understand that the Council has sought An Bord Pleánala's direction under Clause 50(1) (b) of the Roads Act, as amended, for the preparation of an EIS.  The Council is to inform my Department when a direction from An Bord Pleánala is received.

In relation to the project appraisal process, the Council has submitted the project Business Case and Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) documentation for consideration by my Department. Consideration of the project appraisal documentation involves a number of steps. As the project has an estimated cost in excess of €20 million, my Department's Economic and Financial Evaluation Unit in liaison with the Central Expenditure and Evaluation Unit (CEEU) in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will need to review the CBA for compliance with the Public Spending Code and my Department's Common Appraisal Framework.  The overall Business Case will then need approval.

The project appraisal procedure will be progressed as soon as possible taking into account available resources. I can confirm my support for this project and have made available an allocation of €1 million as part of yesterday's announcement on Regional and Local roads grants to progress this project.