John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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336. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on current and planned investment in transport infrastructure in the Cork Northwest constituency, including improvements to regional and local roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64009/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The recently concluded review of the National Development Plan has confirmed the Department of Transport’s annual capital allocations from 2026 to 2030.

The Department is currently reviewing key programmes and projects in the transport sector in the context of that capital funding envelope, including plans for investment in public transport projects, and a decision on a programme of delivery within the available funding will be made in the coming months.

My department will now progress the sectoral plan for the 2026 to 2030 period, which will be published later this year and which will inform road scheme priorities in the coming years.

Public Transport

As the Deputy may be aware, the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme is a key project in the National Development Plan 2021-2030 and the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy 2040. The Programme is being delivered on a phased basis and will provide a more efficient and decarbonised transport service for the area to help facilitate population and economic growth over the coming decades.

Phase 1 of the Programme consists of a signalling upgrade, construction of a through-platform at Kent Station, which opened in April, and double-tracking from Glounthaune to Midleton. This phase has received EU Funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Phase 2 of the programme plans for the electrification of the Cork commuter rail network and the delivery of up to eight new stations in the following locations: Tivoli, Dunkettle, Water Rock, Carrigtwohill West, Ballynoe, Blackpool / Kilbarry, Monard and Blarney/Stoneview, as well as the upgrade of existing stations including Mallow.

In 2024, Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) awarded a contract to TYPSA and Roughan O’Donovan appointing them as multi-disciplinary consultants for the design of Phase 2 of the Programme. This Phase provides for the new stations among other works.

The first public consultation on Phase 2 of the Programme concluded in July. Phase 2 will be progressed following the completion of Phase 1, subject to funding and relevant approvals.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in this matter and the specific issues raised by the Deputy, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.

National Roads

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 management 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. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you in relation to this.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

Regional and Local Roads

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 2025, Cork County Council was allocated €82,838,900 for the maintenance and improvement of its regional and local roads network of which over €79m was allocated to road protection and renewal. The planning and implementation of the annual roadworks programme is the responsibility of Cork County Council.

ZEVI

The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle (EV) charging network over the coming years.

Cork City has developed their EV Infrastructure Strategy and are currently developing site selection and implementation plans to meet user needs and EU/National targets. It is expected that EV users in Cork City along with other Local Authorities will benefit from significant EV Infrastructure roll out over the coming years with support from schemes such as:

• the Shared Island Sports Scheme, which currently includes 14 eligible sites in county Cork.

• LDV1, LDV2, LDV3 in 2025 and 2026 that will provide en-route charging across the TEN-T network.

• the delivery of destination and neighbourhood charging under the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan from 2027 to 2030.

These schemes will be carried out in tandem with private schemes which are being delivered across the country at town centres, hotels and petrol stations.

Active Travel

Over €290 million has been allocated by the Department of Transport to the National Transport Authority (NTA) in 2025 for Active Travel measures around the country. The NTA disperses this funding to all local authorities, works with them to identify walking and cycling projects and oversees their delivery.

Of the total 2025 funding, €19 Million was allocated to Cork County Council to progress the following Active Travel Projects:

€360 million has been confirmed as the 2026 allocation to the Active Travel and Greenways Programmes. Individual local authority allocations at project level will be announced as early as possible in the New Year.