Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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40. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the next TII funding will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62608/22]

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 planning, 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.

The Government earmarked €5.1bn for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. The greater portion of this funding becomes available in the second half of the decade which means that there is a constraint on the funding available for new projects in the period to 2025.

In addition, a major priority in the NDP, in line with the Department’s investment hierarchy, is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing national road network. The NDP foresees an exchequer allocation of circa €2.9 billion for the Protection and Renewal of existing national roads over the 10-year period to 2030, allocated fairly evenly across the decade.

The funding allocations for national road projects in 2023 are in the process of being finalised and will be announced in the near future.