David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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40. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Topical Issue No. 3 of 29 September 2020, if he will report on the progress made to date on improving road access to Cobh and the Great Island, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46371/22]

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 the relevant local authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the Council.

All capital projects must be appraised for compliance with the Public Spending Code taking into account available funding. 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 expenditure of €10 million or more. The SAR is now a key deliverable at the first decision stage in the project appraisal process.

Following receipt of a submission from Cork County Council in 2019 regarding an upgrade of the R624, the Department engaged with the Council in relation to the Public Spending Code project appraisal requirements and the need for the preparation of a SAR to evaluate the range of potential options for addressing connectivity in the Great Island area.

Cork County Council appointed consultants earlier this year to carry out the SAR for a Great Island Connectivity Scheme. The Department has not received a draft of the SAR to date.