Written answers

Thursday, 4 May 2023

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Road Projects

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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15. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he agrees with the view of Transport Infrastructure Ireland that the Mallow Relief Road project is consistent with relevant objectives of national policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20728/23]

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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80. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale and reasoning behind the issuing of a Section 24 letter to Transport Infrastructure Ireland as part of the 2023 roads allocation to Cork County Council, which effectively overrules TII’s proposal to fund the Mallow Relief Road project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20729/23]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 80 together.

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, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the National Roads Programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the National Planning Framework and the NDP.

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

Approximately €491m of exchequer capital funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2023. These allocations were announced by the Department of Transport and TII on the 16th of February 2023.

Having regard to the funding constraint outlined above, it was not possible to provide an allocation to all new national road projects in the NDP for 2023. However, the majority of projects have been allocated funding, including the Mallow Relief Road, which has been allocated €100,000. This scheme consists of a bypass of Mallow with the objective of removing east-west traffic from the town centre. The preferred route option for the scheme was identified last year and following this a public consultation took place. The project is currently in the design and environmental evaluation phase.

As with all national roads projects included in the NDP, the delivery programme for the project will be kept under review for 2024 and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII.

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