Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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203. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on the work that has been carried out in recent months on developing the Narrow Water Bridge; and the current projected timeline and costs. [48260/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Narrow Water Bridge is a cross-border project led by Louth County Council and supported by the Shared Island Fund, which is designed to fund strategic north-south projects that implement the commitments and objectives on Shared Island set out in the Programme for Government. The bridge will connect Cornamucklagh near Omeath, Co Louth with Narrow Water near Warrenpoint, Co Down.

Following a Government decision in June 2021, An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin announced the approval of an initial €3m in funding from the Shared Island Fund to take the project forward to tender stage. Work is well advanced in this regard, led by Louth County Council and overseen by my Department in this jurisdiction, and the Department of Infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

I am very pleased to inform the Deputy that on 18 November 2022 An Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced the Government's decision to approve the seeking of tenders for the Main Works Contract. This is indicative of the Government's continuing commitment to supporting this important project, with funding for future years to be determined once firm costings are available and the tender process has been completed.

To date there have been 10 meetings of the Narrow Water Bridge Sub Group to progress this project the most recent on 29 September 2022. The most recent meeting of the North South Senior Officials Group on New Decade New Approach for Infrastructure and Investment was on 23 November 2022.