Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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535. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he considered an application for funding for the northern cross route in Drogheda from Louth County Council. [3380/18]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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536. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the consideration he gave to projects in County Louth in his allocation for capital road projects which was recently announced by him. [3381/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 535 and 536 together.

As regards national road projects in County Louth, in an announcement on 12th December 2017 I welcomed confirmation from Transport Infrastructure Ireland that construction of the long awaited Ardee Bypass will be going ahead. This is the reason the project was not mentioned in my 16th January press release.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Co. Louth is the statutory responsibility of Louth County Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority. My Department has no grant application on hand in relation to the proposed Northern Cross route in Drogheda.

While the Capital Plan, as enhanced with the extra Capital Plan Review allocations, does allow for the build up in Exchequer funding for maintenance of the network and for some limited investment in road improvements, it will be some years yet before funding reaches the level needed to maintain the network in a "steady state" condition. The primary focus of expenditure will continue, therefore, to be on the maintenance and renewal of the network.