Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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66. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department is seeking additional capital funding for road development in the Border region in the present review of the capital plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22131/17]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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79. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if, in view of the particular challenges for the Border region due to Brexit, his Department is seeking additional funding for specific road projects in the Border region in the present review of the capital plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22132/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 79 together.

​As I outlined in the Deputy in my reply to PQ 21066/17 of 3 May 2017, the transport element of the Capital Plan sets out investment priorities to 2022 and was framed by the conclusions reached in my Department's Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport (SFILT). Based on the findings in that report it is envisaged that maintenance and renewal of the road network - including that of the border region - 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. A further €600 million has been allocated for implementation of the PPP road programme which is already underway and the balance for the limited number of road improvement projects included in the Plan.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has indicated that there is a total of €2.6 billion in additional funding available between 2018 and 2021 for allocation under the Review of the Capital Plan. While I am  conscious of the many competing demands for extra resources, my Department has submitted a very strong case for additional funding consistent with the principles identified in SFILT and a number of the proposed measures, if approved for funding, will be of benefit to the border counties.