David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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228. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated cost of a bypass road for Julianstown, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49487/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant County or City Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants.

Prior to the financial crisis, applications for funding for road improvement projects would have been considered as part of the Specific Improvement, and Strategic Regional and Local Road Grant Schemes. However, the extent of the cutbacks in grant funding during the recession meant these grant schemes had to be curtailed after 2013 because expenditure on maintenance/renewal was falling well short of what was required to adequately maintain the regional and local road network.

Project Ireland 2040 does provide for the gradual build up in funding for the road network but it will take some time to reach the level required for the adequate maintenance and renewal of the network. For this reason there is limited scope at present for funding projects under the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes. The primary focus is on implementation of the 12 regional and local road projects identified for development, subject to necessary approvals, in Project Ireland 2040.

Any additional projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and my Department's Capital Appraisal Framework and it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind. 

Under the capital project appraisal process a Preliminary Appraisal has to be submitted in relation to each proposed project.  Once an appraisal is received it is assessed taking into account other competing projects, the overall regional and local road capital budget and the wider transport planning framework.

A draft Preliminary Appraisal has been received from Meath County Council regarding traffic management in the Julianstown area.  This appraisal is currently being examined and the Department will be liaising with Meath County Council in relation to the further analysis required to underpin the assessment and costing of various options. 

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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229. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated cost of a bypass road for Ardee, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49488/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and securing capital funding in relation to the national roads programme.  Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 the planning, design, procurement and construction of individual national roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. 

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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230. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated cost of the northern cross route in Drogheda, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49489/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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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 project appraisal on hand in relation to the proposed Drogheda Northern Cross Port Access road, and as such no cost estimates have been submitted.

Given the cutbacks in State funding for regional and local roads since the financial crisis, it has been necessary to curtail the grant programme for major new regional and local road schemes and for major realignment schemes in order to protect the funding available for the maintenance of the existing network. The bulk of the funding allocated under Project Ireland 2040 is, therefore, earmarked for the maintenance and renewal of the road network with some limited investment in the new projects.