Vol. 397 No. 10
50 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for the Environment the reason the national primary route N5 has not been designated as a strategic route servicing a major port or Knock Airport, County Mayo; and if he has any plans to so designate this national route.
The four existing strategic routes were selected, in consultation with the EC Commission, because of their strategic importance in reducing the impact of peripherality, which is one of the four priorities identified by the EC Commission in the Community Support Framework for Ireland. In fact, two of those routes had already been identified by the EC Commission as of Community interest. Regard was also had inter alia to traffic volumes.
The question of designating other routes does not arise at present but it should be noted that the operational programme for roads and other transport will not be confined to expenditure on the strategic routes. There will also be substantial investment throughout the rest of the network of national roads.
