Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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24. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding allocated to date for each phase of the Waterford to Glenmore road scheme; the amount of funding drawn down to date; and the amount of funding not drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34588/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Noting the above position, I have referred the question to TII for a direct reply updating you as to the funding that has been allocated and drawn down to date for each phase of the N25 Waterford to Glenmore road scheme.

Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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25. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding allocated to date for each phase of the Kilkenny northern ring road extension; the amount of funding drawn down to date; the amount of funding not drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34589/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of their regional and local roads. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State Road grants. Of these grants, the vast majority (approximately 90%) are targeted at the maintenance and renewal of the network with c. 10% of the remaining funding invested in new roads/bridges or for road realignments.

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.

In line with Government requirements Kilkenny County Council produced a Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) for the Kilkenny Northern Ring Road Extension and a draft was forwarded to the Department in January 2023. The Department reviewed the SAR and returned its comments and observations to Kilkenny County Council for consideration.

Since then, both the Public Spending Code and the Department’s Transport Appraisal Framework (TAF) guidance have been updated - the Department continues to liaise with the Council regarding new requirements under the new infrastructure Guidelines and the TAF including the preparation of a Project Outline Document (POD) and business case incorporating the work already undertaken at the SAR stage.

In 2024, the Department provided funding for an updated POD, which has been submitted to the Department by Kilkenny County Council, and while this process was underway funding was also allocated for Traffic/Junction Analysis in the Butts Green area of the City to further assess and understand traffic patterns in the city.

Following a review of the POD by the Department, €200,000 has been allocated to the Kilkenny Northern Transport Project (formerly Kilkenny Northern Ring Road Extension Project) in 2025 to allow Kilkenny County Council to progress the project to the Options Stage.

As regards the funding allocated to and drawn down for the Kilkenny Northern Transport Project, details of the regional and local road allocations and payments to local authorities are outlined in the regional and local road allocations and payments booklets which are available on the Oireachtas Digital Library.