Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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253. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the €44 million announced in July 2013 for completion of the Kilkenny ring road was formally allocated, drawn down or ring-fenced; if not, when and why that position changed; and to provide a chronology of Departmental and TII decisions from 2013 to date, including the effect of the 2014 An Bord Pleanála approval and subsequent legal proceedings on project reset; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52895/25]

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.

The Kilkenny Northern Transport Project (formerly Kilkenny Northern Ring Road Extension Project) is a non-national project and therefore has never received an allocation from TII. The Department first received a Preliminary Appraisal Form from Kilkenny County Council in December 2019. Any queries regarding funding and legal proceedings prior to this date would be a matter for Kilkenny County Council.

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.