Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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13. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the Bonagee link road project in County Donegal; when this project is likely to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41975/17]

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 Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Investment priorities for  the period to 2022 are set out in the Capital Plan published in September 2015.  Decisions on the transport elements of the Capital Plan were framed by the conclusions reached in my Department’s Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport. Based on the findings in that report it is envisaged that maintenance and renewal of the road network will continue to be the main priority and the bulk of the roads capital budget, approximately €4.4 billion, is earmarked for such essential work with a further €600 million allocated for implementation of the PPP road programme which is already underway. Within the overall funding envelope there is, therefore, limited funding for road upgrade projects and it was not possible to include a range of projects in the Plan. 

As regards the possibility of funding as part of the Capital Plan Review, my Department made a strong case for additional funding, including for the further development of a project pipeline for national road schemes.  As Minister I have to work within the budget available to my Department.

Notwithstanding the strategic and financial constraints outlined above, TII provided an allocation of €1 million to Donegal County Council this year to progress planning work on priority national road improvement projects that were identified in a 2016 Needs Study Report on the TEN-T (Trans-European Transport Networks) Comprehensive Network in County Donegal. The comprehensive network includes the N14 Letterkenny to Lifford road, of which the Letterkenny Inner Relief Road, also known as Bonagee Link Road, is part. Based on the allocation provided in the Review as announced, I am pleased to say the Bonagee Link Road is now being progressed to design stage.  The question of funding for construction will be considered in the context of the ten year investment framework which is to be developed with the National Planning Framework.