Written answers
Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
Transport Policy
Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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217. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the northern transport project for Cork city has not been included in the National Development Plan interactive transport map. [21671/24]
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 Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals.
The Government has earmarked €5.1bn for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key National Strategic Outcomes. The funding will provide for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects which are already at construction stage and those close to it, as well as the development of a number of others.
As the greater portion of this funding becomes available in the second half of the decade, this means that there was a constraint on the funding available for new projects this year. As a result of this, a prioritisation exercise was necessary. In line with the NDP and Government policy, national road funding for 2024 was allocated in a manner which seeks to achieve the following key outcomes:
- Protection and renewal of the existing national road network
- Progressing major projects in or near construction
- Progressing major projects which are pre-construction but well advanced in the development pipeline
- Prioritising any remaining funds for major projects which provide for local bypasses and Compact Growth in Ireland’s towns and villages.
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