Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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178. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has received a submission from Galway County Council in relation to the bridges and causeways to the islands area of south Connemara that connect the mainland at Béal an Daingin to the islands of Eanach Mheáin, Leitir Móir, Garumna and Leitir Meallain; the options being considered to improve access into the islands area; the process that would be involved in order to consider and approve a project or projects to replace one or more of the causeways and bridges into the islands; the criteria that would be used to evaluate a project or projects such as this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39905/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, 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.

Before the post-2008 financial crisis, local authorities could apply on a regular basis for Specific and Strategic Improvement Grants to improve regional and local roads. However, the extent of the cutbacks in grant funding during the crisis meant these grant schemes had to be curtailed after 2013 because expenditure on maintenance and 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 yet 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 or Strategic Grant Programmes.

Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific or 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 the Department's Capital Appraisal Framework (CAF). Given the limited funding available for regional and local road improvement works it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.

As regards the bridges and causeways in the south Connemara area, a number of options have been proposed by Galway County Council such as traffic management with the provision of traffic lights to control the traffic in one direction at a time along the causeways, remedial works to the causeway parapets and facades and the incorporation of the aforementioned traffic management and full widening of the causeways to facilitate two way traffic and remedial work to the causeway facades.

In order to consider and approve a project or projects to replace one or more of the causeways and bridges consideration would at least have to be given to the total cost of the scheme and the necessary planning requirements. The likely cost of replacing the causeways would mean that a detailed economic appraisal would need to be carried out. This would involve carrying out a full business case for the scheme including a detailed financial appraisal of the capital costs, the operating and maintenance costs and the source of funding. An appraisal of the options under numerous criteria such as economy, safety, environment, accessibility and social inclusion and integration also forms part of the business case. Further to this a full Cost Benefit Analysis of the preferred option would also have to be carried out and this along with the business case would be subject to review by the Economic Evaluation Unit within the Department.

In addition to the business case, planning permission would need to be sought by the local authority. As the causeways are located in a Special Area of Conservation then a screening process in order to determine whether or not the proposed scheme is likely to have significant effects on the environment and as such require an Environmental Impact Assessment and an Environmental Impact Assessment Report to be carried out. In addition, an Appropriate Assessment screening process would also need to be carried out in order to determine whether the proposed works could have significant effects on the Special Area of Conservation in view of the sites’ conservation objectives and as such require a Natura Impact Statement. Subject to screening determining that significant effects on the environment and/or significant effects on the Special Area of Conservation could occur then the Environmental Impact Assessment and the Appropriate Assessment processes would involve submission to An Bord Pleanála for planning consent.