Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

250. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport how much the proposed inner relief road in Thurles will cost to construct, and if construction will commence in the next two years. [7299/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority. Any new road projects that seek State funding are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects proposed by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines (formerly the Public Spending Code) and the Department's Transport Appraisal Framework. Given the limited funding available for regional and local road improvement works it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.

Planning and implementation of the Thurles Inner Relief Road scheme is the responsibility of Tipperary County Council. The land corridor required to facilitate the construction of the scheme is now in the possession of Tipperary County Council. The appraisal documents and preliminary project budget are currently being updated. The expectation is that the cost of completing the project is within the range of €8 to €12 million. The Department have allocated €100,000 to the scheme in 2025 for Tipperary County Council to appoint a consultant to progress the detailed design of the scheme.