James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the recent announcement of a €7.5 million funding allocation to the Sallins bypass road project in County Kildare is accurate; the way in which the money will be spent in terms of the tasks included; if further funding will follow in 2017 for the same project, in view of the fact the cost for the three related projects, namely, the Sallins bypass, the Osberstown interchange and the M7 lane widening has been estimated at €110 million; the status of each project; when ground will be broken on each project; the estimated completion date for each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5762/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​As Minister for Transport, Tourism & 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 under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with local authorities.

As regards regional and local roads, responsibility for implementation of improvement projects rests with the relevant local authority which is Kildare County Council in this instance.

It has been agreed that, in the interest of economies of scale and delivery efficiency, the main design and construction elements of the Naas Bypass widening Scheme, Osberstown Interchange and Sallins Bypass Schemes are to be progressed as one construction contract.  This contract is at tender at present and Kildare County Council is the contracting authority.

Subject to the satisfactory conclusion of the tender process, it is anticipated that construction will start later this year and that the three projects will be concluded on a phased basis over 2019/2020.

As regards financing, both TII and my Department will be making funding available over the construction programme period to meet the State's commitments in relation to these Schemes. In this context my Department has allocated €7.5 million for the Sallins Bypass this year while TII has allocated €13.61 million for the Naas Bypass widening.