Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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83. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the degree to which he has examined existing road networks throughout the country in both urban and rural areas with a view to the identification of apparent difficulties in respect of capacity and the need to ensure the completion of the national arterial road network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22137/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​The 7 year transport element of the Capital Plan published in September 2015 sets out transport investment priorities to 2022. Decisions on the transport elements of the Capital Plan in the period to 2022 were framed by the conclusions reached in my Department's Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport (SFILT). The SFILT report highlighted the importance of maintenance and renewal of transport infrastructure together with some targeted investments to improve the existing network. The Capital Plan includes provision for expenditure of €6 billion on the road network. €4.4 billion of this funding is earmarked for essential maintenance and strengthening works on the network. Given the annual funding profile, maintenance and strengthening is the main focus of expenditure in the early years of the Plan. This category of expenditure, which includes roads pavement resurfacing and renewal, is essential to protect the country's road assets. A further €600m in the Capital Plan relates to  PPP projects and €860m is targeted at progressing a limited number of new roads projects. While the Capital Plan reflects the overall funding envelope available in the period to 2022, the Deputy will be aware that the Government is undertaking a Review of the Capital Plan at present. The purpose of the Review is to take stock of progress and provide the Government with an opportunity to consider the scope for increased levels of investment, including in the transport sector, taking economic growth and fiscal progress into account.