Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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168. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if local authorities must request approval from TII when tendering for maintenance and improvement works on the national road network; if a cut in funding has occurred year on year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28155/24]

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 operation and maintenance 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.

TII was first established as the National Roads Authority (NRA) under Part III of the Roads Act 1993. Under Section 16 it was established and under Section 17 the then NRA was assigned responsibility for the planning and supervision of works for the construction or maintenance of national roads as are assigned to it under that Act. Section 16 came into force on 23rd day of December 1993.

A major priority in the National Development Plan, 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 in capital exchequer funding for the Protection and Renewal of existing National Roads over the 10-year period to 2030. This has been allocated fairly evenly across the decade.

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 is a constraint on the funding available for new projects this year – however many national road projects in the NDP continue to be progressed in 2024.

Approximately €411m in capital exchequer funding was allocated to local authorities through TII for the purposes of national roads in 2024. This includes funding for new roads projects, as well as for the protection and renewal of the existing network, such as pavement renewal. The allocations announced by TII earlier this year are an indication of the progress that TII believes is possible on each national roads project during the year. However, if the progression of any national roads project, programme or operation is impeded or priorities change, the funding will be redistributed by TII, in accordance with its statutory remit, to other national roads or greenways projects, programmes, or operations. No funding has been withdrawn by my Department from TII this year.