Vol. 543 No. 2
133 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the steps being taken to address the delays in the road construction programme provided for in the national development plan, especially having regard to warnings that road design teams may have to be laid off due to the delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26673/01]
The national development plan provides for a total investment of £4.7 billion – 1999 prices – in national road improvement and maintenance over the period 2000-06, a threefold increase on the 1994-99 period. The NDP also sets out a strategic framework for the development of the national roads network over the coming seven years.
It is a matter for the NRA, within the NDP framework, to promote detailed programming of the work required and to manage, in co-operation with local authorities, the planning, design and implementation of individual road development projects.
In the light of the planned expansion of the national roads programme, my Department has approved a range of staffing proposals, both at NRA and local authority levels, designed to ensure adequate organisational capacity to deliver the greatly expanded national roads programme envisaged by the NDP.
While, in common with many other organisations, NRA and road authorities may experience some difficulties in recruiting staff for their purposes, good progress is being maintained with the development of the national roads network as mandated in the NDP, including on the five key inter-urban routes. A number of important projects have been completed this year, including Dunleer-Dundalk, M1, Southern Cross route, M50, Croom by-pass, N20, Kilmacthomas by-pass, N25, and Blackpool by-pass, N20. Further projects are expected to open to traffic in 2001, including Claremorris phase one, N17, and Ballycarthy, N21.
