Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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206. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to indicate the extent to which proposals to improve traffic flows in Maynooth, County Kildare, are being progressed, given the urgency of the need and the fact more than €20 million was approved under LIHAF for same ten years ago, so far without any perceived starting date and likelihood of dramatically increased costs and ever deteriorating traffic flows; whether action can be taken in the shortest possible term to activate these proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47256/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is a scheme which funds the building of public infrastructure by local authorities. Its objective is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to housing delivery. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. LIHAF was designed to specifically address the issue of housing supply, a crucial factor in terms of moderating house prices. Infrastructure being funded under LIHAF includes access roads, distributor roads, link roads, road improvements, roundabouts, bridges and parks.

In 2017, grant agreements for 30 approved projects were signed between my Department and local authorities. One such project is for works at Maynooth, Co. Kildare.

Kildare County Council was approved grant funding for the construction of the Maynooth Eastern Relief Road (MERR) and a bridge crossing a railway and the Royal Canal. In 2017, the total approved grant funding for this project was €14.5m with €10.88m (75%) being funded by my Department and the remaining 25% being funded by Kildare County Council. To assist with design and construction cost inflation, Kildare County Council has been notified of additional Exchequer grant funding of €2.176m towards the cost of the works bringing the Exchequer LIHAF grant funding available to €13.076m (including VAT).

I am informed that developers are currently engaged in the planning process for the delivery of housing units on the LIHAF supported lands. Kildare County Council are liaising with a range of stakeholders, including my Department, to advance the MERR project, with these discussions currently ongoing. I am further informed that Kildare County Council on 6 December 2022 published the Maynooth Eastern Ring Road Compulsory Purchase Order 2022. The An Bord Pleanála oral hearing for the project was held in May 2023. Following CPO consent the Council can complete the design and commence the tendering process.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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207. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the proposals to proceed with the provision of a second bridge over the Liffey at Celbridge, County Kildare, might be activated in line with ever-increasing traffic volume requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47258/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Overall responsibility for roads policy and funding for the implementation of transport strategies is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Transport. Kildare County Council as the Roads Authority, is responsible for the management of the road network in its jurisdiction.

Notwithstanding the above, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is providing part-funding for applicant-led roads projects that will enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns.

A key measure in Project Ireland 2040, the URDF is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework.

Following the review of the National Development Plan, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) has been extended to 2030 with an associated level of additional investment. To date there have been two Calls for proposals under the URDF with more than €1.6 billion provisionally allocated so far in respect of 132 proposals, comprising of almost 400 projects.

In 2021, following the second call for proposals under the URDF, I announced a preliminary allocation of €10,237,500 towards Kildare County Council’s Celbridge to Hazelhatch Link Road project. This followed on from Kildare County Council’s successful application for €400,000 towards the provision of technical assistance for the advancement of the project under the URDF’s first call for proposals in 2018. To date a total of €10,637,500 in URDF funding has been provisionally allocated by my Department towards the overall cost of this project. This provisionally approved URDF funding allocation should enable Kildare County Council to advance the project through design and planning.

Subject to funding, the construction element of the project will provide a link road between Celbridge Town and Hazelhatch Train Station of approximately 2km in length, including the delivery of a second bridge over the River Liffey in Celbridge. The project will enhance connectivity between Celbridge Town and Hazelhatch Train Station, supporting compact, consolidated development in Celbridge by realising the full potential of zoned lands south and east of the River Liffey.

It should be noted that while my Department works closely and communicates regularly with Kildare County Council in respect of their URDF Programme of works, responsibility for the advancement of their supported projects through the various stages of planning, development and completion is, in the first instance, a matter for Kildare County Council. Accordingly, detailed queries regarding the projects should be directed to the Council.

Approved projects must be carefully developed and managed in accordance with the normal conditions and arrangements that apply to public sector managed projects and in full compliance with the Public Spending Code. Currently Kildare County Council is preparing a Preliminary Business Case for submission to my Department as part of Decision Gate 1 of the Public Spending Code. Upon receipt of this submission further consideration will be given to the continued advancement of this project.