Written answers

Thursday, 3 March 2022

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Road Projects

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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103. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the Carrickmacross to Ardee and the Clontibret to the Border road schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10490/22]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Public Spending Code and the necessary statutory approvals.

Approximately €615 million of exchequer capital funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2022. The 2022 funding allocations are made having regard for the NDP, which balances investment in transport against other priorities of Government, such as housing and health over the lifetime of the Plan. It was necessary to prioritise projects for funding in a manner which seeks to achieve key outcomes in line with the NDP. Resulting from this, while a large majority of the projects under the NDP were issued a funding allocation in 2022, TII were unable to provide an allocation for the N2 Clontibret to the Border project. The delivery programme for this project will be kept under review for next year and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII.

Funding of €1 million has been allocated by TII for the progression of the N2 Ardee to south of Castleblayney project. TII is best placed to advise on the current status and funding of this proposed project.   

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. 

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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107. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of discussions or plans that have taken place further to his meeting with this Deputy on 7 December 2021 regarding a key strategic road infrastructure project for Drogheda; and his views on the matter. [11802/22]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As indicated previously, Louth County Council is the statutory planning and road authority in its functional area. In this context the first section of the Port Access Northern Cross Route (PANCR) which is under consideration is aimed at facilitating housing development and contacts since the meeting with the Deputy in December indicate that the Council is engaging with developers with a view to advancing this element of the scheme.  My Department has no role in that process.

I should again mention, as I said to the Deputy at our meeting, that there is a limited budget available for projects under the Regional and Local Road Strategic Grant Programme and that the implementation of a number of the larger NDP schemes which are now at construction stage will absorb much of the funding available in the period to 2025.  It should also be noted that, under the Public Spending Code, a Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) is required for all projects which are estimated to cost in excess of €10 million. To date no SAR report has been received by my Department for this proposed project.

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