David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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333. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress that has been made to date with respect to road upgrade projects (details supplied) in east Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30455/22]

Eamon 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. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Public Spending Code and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question on the N25 projects to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

Regarding the R624 road to Great Island and Cobh, 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 Councils’ own resources supplemented by State road grants, where applicable.

All capital projects must be appraised for compliance with the Public Spending Code. An important change to the Public Spending Code, as revised in December 2019, is the introduction of a requirement for a Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) for all projects with an estimated cost of €10 million or more. The SAR is now a key deliverable at the first decision stage in the project appraisal process. In this context, Cork County Council has appointed consultants to carry out a Great Island Connectivity Scheme SAR to evaluate the range of potential options for addressing connectivity in the area.