Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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593. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is satisfied with the legal basis which allows TII and local authorities to freeze development on lands that have been identified for road projects despite those projects being delayed or cancelled owing to funding or alternative route identification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39128/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy in relation to the public roads programme.

Under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has responsibility for the planning and supervision of works for the construction and improvement of national road projects in conjunction with the road authorities concerned.

The construction and improvement of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant road authority under section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993.

The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government has overall responsibility for the Planning and Development Acts under which planning authorities are responsible for making decisions on planning applications and An Bord Pleanála is responsible for considering appeals in relation to planning applications. I have no function in relation to the planning process.

It is a matter for local authorities, in their capacity as planning authorities and given their functions under the Roads Acts, to assess how to best balance planning needs with the protection of route corridors for future road projects.