National Road Needs Study: Motion.

Mr. Walsh

I move:

That Seanad Éireann welcomes the National Road Needs Study published by the NRA as an important blueprint for the future; and requests the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to make a statement on the matter.

The House debated the relationship between road accidents and the road infrastructure a few weeks ago. I welcome the National Roads Authority's report. It provides a blueprint for discussion and planning for the future. Through its seminars at regional level the NRA has stimulated much debate on the proposals in the study.

A more focused approach to road improvement is long overdue. Criticism can be levelled at our past failure to have sufficient forward planning. The report covers the period 1998-2019 but I wonder if that period is sufficiently long. I advocate planning the road infrastructure to the middle or the end of the next century — we should adopt a 50 to 60 year perspective. If that were done we would arrive at a road network commensurate with the requirements of a modern economy.

It is important for a trading country such as ours that we have a distribution system which is sufficient and cost effective. Many of our roads bear witness to a lack of investment over many decades. This is a pity because the payback to the economy from road investment is significant. About 16 or 17 years ago when the Naas dual carriageway was built economists estimated that it would give a 15 per cent return per annum to the economy.

At that time I was vice president of the Irish Road Hauliers Association and at various meetings with the then Minister for the Environment we articulated the need for an accelerated programme of motorway and dual carriageway construction. Had impetus been put into the programme at that stage we would have motorways or dual carriageways between our major centres today. Such investment would bring benefits to the economy and would also have a beneficial effect in terms of road accidents. We should accelerate the programme outlined in the NRA's study. However, I wonder how realistic this call will be given the current position on regionalisation and that much of the country will probably be in transition in the next round of Structural Funds.

The significant contribution made by the European Union to the road network must be acknowledged. However, I will be critical and argue that more should have been done and that it was in the early 1980s that we lost out. I recall speaking with representatives of the EU Commission whom we had invited to speak at road seminars along with Ministers. They pointed out that they were prompting the Government to come forward with progressive plans to improve the road infrastructure. Unfortunately, such investment did not occur on the necessary scale. It is regrettable that much of the significant Government borrowing at that period was channelled into current expenditure rather than into a capital programme which would have paid back the economy.

This study is a framework which is likely to be reshaped. It is an important starting point but it should be underpinned by the necessary funding to activate any of its proposals or amended proposals. There will be a need for more innovation in sourcing investment in our road infrastructure, particularly the national roads. In the past two years the Minister has made significantly improved contributions to county roads which were in need of repair and improvement. However, we must bear in mind that at least 90 per cent of passenger and goods vehicles use the national roads. Those arteries must be improved and maintained.

Last week the House discussed traffic congestion in Dublin, the need for investment in Luas and bus corridors and the need to bring about a culture shift away from private cars to public transport. There must be an integrated plan to take account of regional roads and the convergence of traffic on the cities. Many of our towns that have not been bypassed are still the source of significant delays at certain times of the day and at particular times of the year. The cost of transport is significant and most of it is imported. Vehicles, spare parts and fuel are all major components of road transport, which are imported. Therefore, it makes good economic sense, apart from the necessity to the economy, to make sure we get the best return from and use of the vehicles as cost effectively as possible.

While we talk about an integrated plan, we must look at our cities and the bottlenecks around the country. That is already happening but it needs to be accelerated. We must also examine the rail network which is an integral part of our transportation system. Because of the size of the country there will always be a difficulty in transferring any significant volume of freight or passengers on to our rail network. However, any shift will be contingent upon good rolling stock and investment in the railways. An overall strategy plan needs to be developed. It is probably fair to say that many of the reports which are now coming to Government, and much of the focus by various Ministers, are going in that direction.

Private sources of financing for road development should be examined much more enthusiastically than heretofore. We have some prime examples of it in the Eastlink and Westlink bridges, both of which have made a major contribution to traffic flows both in and around Dublin.

Such private financing could be made at a more indepth level. Many of our pension funds are seeking investment opportunities and they take a long-term view of such projects. There are also many tax breaks for investment in business expansion schemes and holiday homes. Is there scope to refocus some of the investment into road infrastructure and other public services such as drainage and sewerage?

Roads is one area where we can copy what has occurred in other countries. We should examine foreign models of practice to see how they could apply to our needs. Demographic changes in society and a significant increase in traffic will give rise to a need for more and better roads. Within the next ten years there will be a 60 per cent increase in car registrations and if there is not a commensurate improvement in the road network the current gridlock will appear insignificant.

There is a great need for a concentrated effort in this area. The Minister, Deputy Dempsey, and the Minister of State, Deputy Dan Wallace, deserve credit for the increased concentration of investment which will be made next year, compared to this year. I understand that the Book of Estimates shows an 18 per cent increase in spending on national road improvements, which is welcome. We need that kind of emphasis and I hope it will continue at a faster pace than in the past.

Ms Ormonde

I am delighted to second the motion. This is an ongoing debate. Not long ago we had another debate relating to the National Roads Authority concerning speeding and alcohol abuse on the roads. This new study is a guideline to the future conceptualisation of our road network and how we will deal with that infrastructure.

We are discussing the national road needs study but, as devil's advocate, I was looking for anything that had been forecast concerning the current gridlock and the lack of infrastructure. In discussing the period from 2000 to 2019 we are pushing the issue into the future so the debate will be based on car ownership and usage, population, income groups and the quality of life. It is difficult to talk about a blueprint for the future of our roads when I want to know the current blueprint of the National Roads Authority. This report relates to the future and I accept that because we need to know where we are going. Everyone accepts that the east coast, from Dublin southwards, is gridlocked from early morning until evening. The west coast does not seem to have as many problems, although perhaps it does. Senator Coogan may be able to inform me what it is like driving from Galway to Dublin. However, on the east coast one must add at least one and a half hours to one's journey because of traffic congestion.

I read through the national road needs study very quickly. It mentioned that the greatest population growth was occurring on the east coast, but it did not say how that growth could be coped with in future. I would like to hear the Minister of State's views about the density of population on the east coast and how best the road network could span out over the rest of the country. I have been trying to figure that out, having read the report in a short space of time.

The environmental impact reflects how we live. At present, the quality of life is being disrupted because car ownership has increased at such a rate. We need quality bus corridors, although the Minister of State may say that has nothing to do with the National Roads Authority. Can we isolate ourselves in this study? I do not see any reference to local authority involvement in this report. How did the report's authors compile all their information?

The National Roads Authority's guidelines are often taken as gospel by local authorities, but it should be the other way around. County engineers and other local authority personnel are the real feeders of information. We should be able to discern future trends from them as they have their fingers on the pulse. An integrated and more co-ordinated approach is required, although I did not find one in this document. I would like to know how the National Roads Authority operates vis-a-vis the Department of the Environment and Local Government. We need to have a multiplicity of views on this issue. Can the National Roads Authority bring us up to date on where we will be regarding local infrastructure over the next 12 months rather than over the next 20 years? It comes down to local concentration because we all live in our own little worlds. The National Roads Authority must listen to the views of people from every area, from Dublin, Wexford, Galway and Cork and compile a study when it realises the extent of the problem nationally. How can we solve this problem? Can we encourage people to change their travel habits and abandon cars in favour of public transport? The National Roads Authority must broaden its range of interests to include the problem of traffic and transport in general. The country cannot accommodate a further increase in car numbers.

I congratulate the National Roads Authority on its future planning but it will not succeed unless the central role of local authorities in transport and infrastructural planning is recognised. I welcome the report, I congratulate the National Roads Authority on an excellent piece of research and I realise the Minister has his finger on the pulse of the problem. However, I would like to see local authorities playing a more central role in solving this problem.

Mr. Coogan

I am delighted to have an opportunity to debate this document with the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Wallace. We have examined related topics several times during the last two weeks. Last week we discussed the problem of Dublin's traffic and the week before we discussed the subject of road accidents. On one of those occasions I mentioned the NRA and I was interested to hear Senator Ormonde this evening reiterate so much of what I said then. Perhaps she should join us on this side of the House.

The National Roads Authority is not responsible to anyone. I doubt if it is even responsible to the Minister or consults him when drawing up its frameworks. I happened to learn of the existence of this document, the national road needs study, some weeks ago but it has not been circulated to Members of the House. The NRA appears not to consider it necessary to circulate this document to Senators. The study should also be circulated to local authorities. If that were done there would be uproar from members of local authorities who would ask the question I have just asked. How does the National Roads Authority prioritise road development projects? The list of priorities contains serious gaps and includes emphases with which many local authority members would not agree. A local authority in the west would place emphasis on different roads from those mentioned in this study.

If this framework is to be adhered to in the future it will impinge on everyone in the country. For that reason it is important that we debate it. The plan will impinge on car drivers and on manufacturers who must transport goods. I am sure the projected facts and figures in the study are as accurate as possible. It is frightening to realise that in 25 years' time the number of private cars and trucks in the country will have doubled. As Senator Walsh said, we should have been tackling this problem 30 years ago. Infrastructure is of critical importance in our economy but its development has focused on the Dublin area to too great an extent. All goods are exported through the port of Dublin. The west and other peripheral areas have a much lower rate of economic growth than the east coast. If infrastructural development does not take place in the west the focus will continue to be on Dublin. If I were an industrialist I would not establish a business in the west. The time it takes to drive from Galway to the port of Dublin is prohibitive and sensible manufacturers would locate near the port through which they export.

We must consider long-term projects such as the building of a new city and the necessary infrastructure for such a city. The cost of infrastructural development set out in the study is frightening. For the next 35 years a sum of £6,139 million will be needed for road development. Where will this money come from when EU structural funds diminish? The Exchequer cannot provide it. Solutions such as private financing and toll roads are politically difficult but it may be necessary for Governments to adopt these unpopular measures.

A previous speaker mentioned the question of regional policy. I looked at some of the maps in the NRA study and asked some colleagues for their opinions on proposals for various areas of the country. I am sorry the Minister for the Environment and Local Government is not here because I note that proposed developments in his constituency are included in the first five year plan. Some proposals for the west coast are planned for 20 or 25 years in the future. It will be a long time before the west has an adequate infrastructure. Údarás na Gaeltachta is building factories in the west. I would not be enthusiastic about setting up an industry in the west because the necessary infrastructure does not exist there. Galway County Council and Galway Corporation asked a previous Minister if the NRA could upgrade the road from Galway through Furbo and Spiddal to a national primary route. This would have ensured funding would be provided to improve and maintain the road so that people who have industries in the area could move goods and equipment more quickly. Instead we have a boreen that grew into a country road and from that into a secondary road. The study contains no plan to improve this road which is also of critical importance for tourism.

While we are waiting for the recommendations of this study to be implemented we must develop a public transport system which will persuade people to take buses or trains rather than travel by car. If we do not have a satisfactory public transport system we must provide adequate roads. When I first came to Dublin in my father's car it took three hours. Now, on our marvellously improved roads, it takes three and a half hours.

I welcome the Minister. I also welcome the opportunity to debate this issue but in my view the study is merely pie in the sky.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. D. Wallace)

I wish to convey the apologies of the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, who is unable to be in the House tonight. He is in Buenos Aires attending the ministerial conference on climate change and the follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol.

The motion before the House provides a welcome opportunity to debate an important issue, the state of the national road network and plans for its future development. Everybody agrees that a safe and efficient national road network is a key ingredient for economic success and for enhanced levels of personal mobility.

While a good start was made in earlier years, it was only in 1989 — less than ten years ago — that a concerted effort began to provide Ireland with the national road network necessary to support our aspirations for economic and social development. That year marked the start of a period of increased EU and Exchequer resources for roads and other transport infrastructure, to be applied through the mechanism of multi-annual investment programmes — the Operational Programme on Peripherality, 1989-1993 and the Operational Programme for Transport, 1994-1999.

Much has been and is being achieved within the framework of these investment programmes. Senators will be aware of many parts of the country where the national road network has been improved beyond recognition as a result of investment since 1989. The bypasses of Portlaoise, Balbriggan and Longford give an idea of the scale of the transformation which has occurred in many areas. This progress is continuing; for example, bypasses of the Curlews and Arklow and the Lee tunnel in Cork are due for completion and will be open to traffic shortly.

For a number of reasons, it is particularly appropriate that those responsible for national road planning take stock of where the programme is now and what remains to be done. First, there has been nearly a decade of substantial investment in national roads, a period which of itself calls for a fresh assessment of the programme. Second, it is important that we do the necessary homework to make the best possible use of funding under the next round of EU Structural and Cohesion funding. Finally, the unprecedented growth in road traffic volumes in recent years, reflecting our economic success, has to be taken into account in the road planning process.

Against this background the NRA commissioned the national road needs study. It was presented by the NRA to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government last July. The study was co-financed by the EU as part of the technical assistance programme of the operational programme for transport. The major conclusion to emerge from the study is that, while much good work has been accomplished, much also remains to be done to bring the national road network up to appropriate standards in all parts of the country. It is also clear that in the absence of substantial further investment, the situation could deteriorate steadily in the years ahead due to growth in road traffic volumes.

The study provides a comprehensive assessment of Ireland's infrastructural deficit in terms of national road development. It puts the cost of proposed works at £6 billion and sets out a strong case for a significant increase in investment in the years immediately ahead.

As suggested by the motion, the study is an important input to the process leading to a national development plan for the period 2000-2006. The plan will set out the Government's intentions for economic and social development into the new millennium and, in particular, for utilising EU Structural and Cohesion Funds in the period ahead. In preparing the plan, full account will also be taken by Government of the scope for public/private partnerships in meeting infrastructure needs in the roads and other areas.

The overall cost of £6 billion may seem daunting at first. However, while recognising the case for significantly increased investment in the short term, it should also be borne in mind that the study covers a 20 year period up to 2019, with some of the needs arising only as traffic volumes increase. Moreover, national road investment has, to a large extent, already moved to a new level. Earlier today, the Minister for Finance announced in the abridged Estimates for Public Services in 1999 a provision of nearly £312 million next year for national road improvement — an increase of £48 million or over 18 per cent on the 1998 figure.

It is unlikely that everybody will agree with all the conclusions reached in the study. In any exercise of this nature, there will always be additional projects which people believe should be carried out or ones which people consider should be carried out at an earlier date than indicated by the analysis. The study is a needs assessment. It is not a strategic road investment programme. It represents the start of a process leading to the next such programme, which will be prepared following Government decisions on the new national development plan and agreement with the European Commission on a new community support framework.

The study is an important analytical basis for the work on developing the programme that lies ahead. As part of this process, the study has been presented by the NRA at a series of regional seminars which were attended by Members of the Oireachtas and of regional and local authorities, as well as by local officials and representatives from interested bodies. These seminars promoted awareness of the study conclusions and provided a forum for an exchange of views on national road development. The NRA has also indicated that it would welcome written submissions on the study and I urge people to take up this invitation. In addition, tonight's debate is an important further step in a process which, I hope, will lead to the maximum degree of consensus on the strategic approach to be followed in the next national road investment programme.

I wish to refer to two issues of great importance in the context of the national road development programme, environmental sustainability and road safety. In pressing ahead with national road development, full account must be taken of environmental sustainability. I am particularly pleased, therefore, to see recognition of this in the study. The environmental implications of road development and transportation generally is a key issue facing many countries, including Ireland. For this reason, it is vital that road development policy is not looked at in isolation. Through the national development plan and the work leading to it, Ireland's transport development needs will be assessed in an integrated way, taking account of the contribution to be made by all transport modes.

Equally critically from both the transport and the environment perspectives is the need to develop and implement integrated transport strategies for the major urban areas, again covering all modes including cycling and walking. Where major road development is required there must be rigorous assessment of its environmental impact and appropriate action taken on foot of the results.

As we approach the Christmas season, it is right to reflect on the contribution the national road investment programme can make to making roads safer. The Government's strategy document "The Road to Safety" proposes action on a number of fronts. The computerised database which was developed as part of the needs study will allow high accident locations to be identified. The NRA will prioritise these locations for the application of countermeasures. The measures will, as appropriate, involve safety audits, traffic calming or low cost remedial measures. In these ways, road safety engineering will be mobilised to help meet the targets in the strategy and reduce the toll of death and injury on our roads.

I wish to express my appreciation to those associated with the study. It is invaluable as an assessment of where we are in terms of national road development and of where we should aim to be in 20 years time. The task before us is to develop the strategic investment programme required to make a reality of the long-term vision we all share of a national road network which fully meets the needs of the economy and society.

Mr. Coghlan

I welcome the Minister to the House. This is a typical Government party motion in that it welcomes the National Roads Needs Study as an important blueprint for the future and requests the Minister to make a statement. I am obliged to the Minister for his statement. However, this is a blueprint which needs major and drastic amendment. It is clearly not adequate.

The Minister stated that it is necessary to support our aspirations for economic and social development and I agree. However, it is clear that the existing provision does not in the slightest support the recent growth. There has been phenomenal growth but the road network is appalling. I would go so far as to say that the state of the road network is Ireland's greatest infrastructural shortcoming.

One has only to look at the increase in the number of cars, to which the Minister referred. There are 145,000 new cars on the roads this year. It is projected that the number of cars on the road next year will grow by 140,000. I acknowledge that the Minister made reference to Ireland's infrastructural deficit of which there is no doubt.

I welcome the provision of £312 million next year for national road improvements. Again, in the context of the £6 billion to which the Minister referred, this is woefully inadequate at a time when there is a surplus, much more of which could more properly be put into roads. Ireland's greatest infrastructural deficit relates to roads.

The Minister was kind enough to state it is unlikely everybody will agree with the conclusions reached in the study. That is a huge understatement.

We have also seen the difficulties which can be caused by the rigorous assessment of projects for their environmental impact. As I know from experience in County Kerry, that is one of the things which can cause major grief. County Kerry lost a dual carriageway into Tralee as a result of environmental considerations even though many of us, as lay people, thought that the wood would hardly have been touched. It was merely to be skirted.

On 21 October I spoke in the House about some of the major shortcomings in the blueprint. On page 86 of the NRA report there is a reference to future road types. Looking at the map it is evident that there are major deficiencies in the recommendations contained therein. In my book, the most glaring of them concerns the much needed western road corridor. As I stated at the time, the proposed route bypasses County Kerry altogether. We can imagine how that will hinder the development of the most peripheral region in Ireland. I stated on that occasion, in the Official Report 21 October 1998, vol. 156, column 1164:

The South-West Regional Authority has pointed out that the Government could save £80 million if it improved road links between Waterford, Cork and Limerick with an improved road to Tralee. The NRA wants to upgrade roads between Galway, County Mayo, County Clare and Rosslare via Limerick. This would inflict a severe blow on County Kerry in terms of tourism and trade losses.

I stated that NRA was bypassing and cutting off County Kerry altogether.

Recently we were talking about Objective One status. We do not know what will be the outcome in that regard. However, if we are to suffer this double blow, it will be crushing for the people of the deep south-west. Transport links, as the House will be aware, are vital for getting people to and from the capital and County Kerry is the furthest point.

County Kerry was designated some years ago as a major centre of tourism growth. I wonder what is its status given some of the existing proposals because they are not in any way complimentary. County Kerry is being downgraded and degraded.

That document referred to the road from Killarney to Mallow, which we know well is in need of major upgrading, but such treatment is not recommended. If I recall correctly, the NRA report stated that it is an existing road not in need of any improvement, which is clearly and blatantly untrue.

The road from Killarney to Tralee is listed as a national primary road. However, one can find minor county roads in any part of Britain in a much better state than that 20 mile stretch of what is regarded as a national primary road.

It is disappointing to note also in what is called the "South-West Road Corridor" on another map in that report that the road stops at Limerick on one side and Cork on the other. There is a need for a proper link. I plead with the NRA to rearrange matters so that the road from Dublin to Limerick would continue as far as Tralee with that status and grade. Equally, the road from Rosslare to Cork should continue to Killarney at the same grade. I do not want to be whinging all the time but——

An Leas-Chathaoirleach

The Senator has one minute left.

Mr. Coghlan

Are you serious, a Leas-Chathaoirligh? I wanted to refer to a number of other matters.

Mr. D. Kiely

The Senator had better do so quickly.

Mr. Coghlan

Senator Kiely will know well the sound reasoning behind my argument. It is a serious situation. We want to be constructive and we will welcome everything we are given. As Senator Kiely will be aware, I welcome everything. I welcome that funding but it is seriously inadequate. Given the level of growth, which is delightful in one sense, we cannot travel if there are no roads.

With regards to other modes of transport, we must find a way of dealing with many of the goods which are transported in large articulated trucks on totally inadequate roads. The narrow stretch between Mallow and Kildorrery needs a higher grading than that map affords it.

I plead that the Minister and his Department to use their influence with the NRA. This blueprint is totally inadequate.

Mr. D. Kiely

I welcome Minister of State and compliment him on his work.

I listened with great interest to many of the contributions and to what Senator Coghlan said about County Kerry, particularly north County Kerry, the line between Killarney and Mallow and that between Killarney and Tralee. What was the then Tánaiste, Deputy Spring, and then Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan, doing when they were in Government to improve the situation in my part of the country? The N69 on my side of the county, from Tralee to Tarbert, Foynes and Limerick, is a secondary route.

I am disgusted with the NRA report. It states that no funding will be needed for this road up to 2019 because it is in good condition. The Tralee, Tarbert and Listowel route, which is the main artery from the ferry of Tarbert and Foynes in Limerick, is in a terrible state. Funding is needed in that part of the country. Most funding will be spent on major routes along the east coast, but, we must not forget the west coast.

Some £6 billion will be spent on our national roads until 2019, yet between 1983 and 1987 the coalition Government borrowed £13 billion for day to day spending. Where did we go wrong? Everyone wants to spend more money now that we have a budget surplus and good economic management. The Minister for Finance has an extra £1 billion to spend this year, with which he could do a number of things. He could use it for public spending, pay off part of the national debt which the coalition Government doubled between 1983 and 1987 or give it to the National Roads Authority or the local authorities to build up our roads infrastructure. If I was a Minister in this Administration, I would use a significant portion of it to improve our road network, as that is where our future lies.

There are major traffic jams in Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Cork every morning as people try to get to work. Cities which are ten times the size of Dublin are able to improve their infrastructure. Recently I read about a survey, which cost £6 million, on the tunnel which links New Jersey with New York. Some £3 trillion will have to be spent to alleviate the traffic problems there up to 2006. The National Roads Authority should study that survey.

If business people want to get their products to the markets, they will develop the infrastructure along the east coast. However, if we want to save rural Ireland we must do something along the west coast. If the new road network along the western seaboard into Limerick and across to Rosslare bypasses Mallow, one portion of the country will be left out of the industrial spectrum. Something must be done about this. People who want to get their products from one place to another need the shortest possible route.

While I respect what the National Roads Authority intends to do, it must go back to the drawing board and consider rural Ireland, about which it has forgotten. The N69 between Limerick, Tarbert, Listowel and Tralee is a secondary route. According to the National Roads Authority, it does not need to be improved. However, that road is falling apart. Six or eight months ago I suggested meeting representatives of the National Roads Authority to discuss this issue. They said the Authority would examine the route again. However, its report states there is no need for it to be upgraded. The Minister must ask the National Roads Authority to reconsider that decision.

We need proper infrastructure, particularly if we want to get involved in the European market. There is much talk about dividing the country into two regions. This is the only island left in the European Union. It takes us longer to get our products into the market and that must be taken into account in any future submissions.

Mr. O'Brien

I welcome this study which is a good blueprint for the future. It is welcome that the NRA is taking into consideration the amount of traffic on our roads now and over the next 20 years so that we can build a proper infrastructure.

The study recommends that the Monaghan, Carrickmacross and Ardee bypasses on the N2 from Dublin to Derry and Donegal should be included in phase one between 2000 and 2004. However, Castleblayney is marked as "backlog", which means there is an immediate need to build that bypass. We understood that bypass would be the first in the county to be completed in the period between 1994 to 1998. It is disappointing to discover that it is not even included in phase one of the programme to be carried out between 2000 to 2004.

I ask the Minister of State to take on board the fact that there is an urgent need for a bypass of Monaghan town, Carrickmacross, Ardee and Ashbourne. Anyone who travels on the existing road — I do so myself several times every week — will be aware of the huge build-up of traffic into and out of these towns each morning and evening. As the new millennium approaches, it is not acceptable that people are obliged to sit in traffic for long periods while trying to drive through these towns. Given that there is no major motorway running into Monaghan and on to Derry, it is important that the Monaghan bypass be built as soon as possible. As other speakers stated in respect of their areas, such bypasses are urgently required.

I compliment the Minister of State who pointed out that the Minister for Finance announced earlier today that there will be a provision of nearly £312 million in 1999 for national road improvement, an increase of £48 million on the 1998 figure. That is tremendous because £48 million is a substantial sum of money. The Minister of State and the NRA must be complimented on providing this additional funding for the upkeep and improvement of our roads. I also compliment the Minister of State on the rapid progress being made on the much needed Cavan bypass.

Mr. T. Hayes

I welcome the Minister of State to the House for this important debate on the NRA's road needs study. Given current road needs and the huge volume of traffic using our roads, everyone will admit we are faced with a major and expensive problem. It would be wrong of me to be over-critical, but I am concerned about the amount of money being spent on improving the road network. We must consider increasing our spending on roads in light of the huge volume of traffic using them.

By its nature, road construction is expensive; it consumes vast amounts of financial resources. However, as members of local authorities will point out, the cost of road construction and people's requests for local road improvements are the frequently discussed at council meetings.

The Minister of State referred to the construction of a number of bypasses. Everyone has their own parochial request to put forward in that regard and I take this opportunity to raise an issue which is of major concern to the people of south Tipperary. I refer to the lengthy discussions that have taken place in respect of the Cashel bypass. Cashel is one of the most historic towns in the country and the number of tourists visiting it in recent years has increased dramatically. In the past ten years, the numbers visiting the Rock of Cashel have increased from 100,000 to 260,000. A huge backlog of traffic develops in the town each day, particularly during the summer months.

Consultants were appointed by South Tipperary County Council to determine the suitability of five routes for the construction of a bypass and on Friday last they made their report available to council members. It is one of the finest reports I have ever read and it greatly impressed everyone who attended the meeting. It advocates the construction of a bypass to the east of the Rock of Cashel.

As stated earlier, people in Cashel are concerned about the construction of the bypass and the county council has been criticised for being too slow in proceeding with the project. However, I am aware that on the first Monday in December the members of the council are prepared to endorse the consultants' report which will then be forwarded to the NRA. The cost of the project will be approximately £18 million. I have heard much about the construction of various bypasses and tunnels throughout the country — all of which are needed — but I have rarely heard reference to the Cashel bypass at Government or NRA level.

Will the Minister of State impress on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, his officials and the officials in NRA the urgent need to sanction the proposals which will come before them in the coming weeks? As already stated, there is a great need for a bypass at Cashel. I am almost certain that, following years of divisiveness, rancour and indecision, South Tipperary County Council will take a unanimous decision to approve the consultants' report. When that decision is made it is crucial that the NRA provide funding for the bypass. Another critical part of the report recommends the construction of a link road to connect west Tipperary with Tipperary town, which is one of the most innovative aspects of the proposals that will come before the Department and the NRA. I plead with the Minister of State to do everything possible to help the people of south Tipperary who have taken a sound decision.

Mr. Mooney

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. I am pleased that the Minister of State has come before the House for this important debate, the tentacles of which — I hope Members will excuse the pun — are spread across Ireland. The implementation of the recommendations of the road needs study will have an impact on the social and economic life of communities in every part of the country. It was suggested that this debate provided an opportunity to have a go at the NRA. I am sure the Minister and his officials are convinced the opposite is the case. This is an opportunity to debate an important report which will have a tremendous impact on the State. It also presents an opportunity to Members on all sides to identify local needs, although it is inevitable that the Government must consider the overall figure.

The Minister made two important points. He said the study was a needs assessment, not a strategic road investment programme. It represents the start of a process. I hope this report is not written in stone and is open to flexibility as the need arises. It identifies the backlogs across the State and where immediate concerns exist. This is such a fast changing society that much of what is written here could be redundant ten years time, and certainly within the lifetime of the next round of Structural Funds.

Like Senator O'Brien, I also congratulate the Minister and Minister of State, and the political masters in the Customs House on fighting their case so effectively at the Cabinet table. The Estimates announced today provide for a significant increase of 80 per cent in the roads programme for next year. No one could call £48 million petty cash. We await with interest the allocation of this money to the local authorities. In common with all of my colleagues, I compliment the NRA on its work and not only the current Minister, but those who were in office during the lifetime of the operational programme from 1994-9. The money has been well spent. There are local quibbles, but that will always be the case.

It would be churlish of me not to acknowledge the excellent work which continues to be carried out on the N4, the Dublin to Sligo route. I single out this route not just because it brings me home much quicker than it used to, but because it is opening up a deprived region. In the context of the ongoing debate about Objective One status, it is precisely these arguments which are being made by those calling for regionalisation. Better access opens up a world of economic and social opportunities and no one should begrudge the argument for regionalisation on this basis. It is not about depriving other parts of the State, it is about equity in the rising economic tide. It is clear from the needs study that the NRA recognises this in many cases. I am, however, disappointed that priority has not been given to the completion of the alternative bypass through Roscommon leading to the west, which has been put back to 2010.

The road works programme was initiated in 1995-6, when local authorities were obliged to present to the Department of the Environment and Local Government a five year road needs assessment for county, secondary and regional roads within their jurisdiction. If one considers the implementation of that programme from its initiation in 1996, there are few local authorities which would not say they had accelerated this programme, with the help of Government money, to the point where the five year plan will be completed by the end of next year. They will not only finish on target but perhaps 18 months ahead. If one correlates that with this needs study, the needs as stated here might be upgraded in the context of ongoing needs assessment. The N16 from Sligo to the Fermanagh border and on to Larne harbour is included in the last stage of phasing, 2015-19. This might be reassessed.

The road network which runs through the spine of the country from Athlone, through Birr and Roscrea, to Horse and Jockey is effectively the main thoroughfare for those from the north travelling to the southern capital. I am disappointed that priority has not been given to this section of road, with the exception of a piece from Thurles to Horse and Jockey. I recently travelled on that road and it could do with upgrading.

The Minister raised the issue of integration. He stated that it is vital that road development policy is not considered in isolation. Through the national development plan and the work leading up to it, Ireland's transport development needs will be assessed in an integrated way taking full account of the contribution to be made by all transport modes. In other words, it is vital that we develop our rail network to the same high standard as is proposed for the road network. Perhaps the Minister might consider investment in rail development — improved rolling stock and the reopening of lines, such as the Sligo to Limerick line, for freight traffic — in the context of the national development plan which will be put before us in the next 18 months. Parts of the State are being choked, yet we have an under-used rail network onto which freight could be diverted. That is a separate debate, but it is vital not to lose sight of the fact that we need an integrated programme of investment in our infrastructure which is not simply about roads or rail. The two must work in tandem or the rest of the State will face the problems which exist in Dublin.

There is no east-west link on the map. If we are talking about the development of an eastern corridor from Belfast to Rosslare, there is an equal need for an east-west link to access the peripheral regions. There is no main route between Dundalk and Galway. The entire county of Leitrim does not appear on the map for the simple reason that it has a very small portion of national primary roads and no national secondary roads.

I welcome this needs study and acknowledge what the NRA has done to start the ball rolling. I also acknowledge the contribution the Government has made. I hope we can return to the subject more regularly than once every five years.

Ms Cox

I welcome the Minister to the House and the opportunity to discuss this issue. We debated road safety recently, but neglected to mention the needs analysis carried out by the National Roads Authority.

It is important to realise that the road network affects all of us. It affects how we get to work, how we transport produce to the market and how tourists travel. It affects farmers, business people and workers. The road network has a huge impact on economic and social life. It is the key ingredient in our economic success. Without investment in this area the economy will cease to grow. We have seen a change in Irish culture.

People are no longer afraid to commute to work for an hour to an hour and a half. Cars are better, roads are improving and the price of houses in central areas such as Galway, Limerick and Cork is out of the reach of many people. Developments are going up in places such as Athenry, Castlebar, Headford, Tuam and various satellite towns around Galway. People are choosing to live further from the city and where they work and they have to commute daily. This is increasing the amount of traffic on our roads.

We need to recognise that if we do not ensure the road structure is maintained and improved people will not be able to travel to work. One example — and I am being parochial — is the N84 from Castlebar to Galway. A huge number of people from Headford, an area which has developed greatly, commute using that road. It is a national secondary route which needs huge development. However, it is disappointing to see in the plan that it has not been earmarked for major improvement until 2005-10. We need to reassess funding to meet the needs of certain locations. If we want to encourage investment in the regions and peripheral areas we must provide the infrastructure. As Senator Mooney said, we need regionalisation to ensure we get Structural and Cohesion Funds for the areas which have suffered because greater funding is given to the east.

This is a plan for the future and is indicative of the way this Government is doing business. We have strategically reviewed present provisions. We have projected the need of those using the road network and costed and planned for that. Six billion pounds has been set aside for a 20 year programme. There is also an implementation plan. The document recognises that plans need to be reviewed. As we go through the work programme we will see additional needs coming on stream, the changing of criteria and needs and, therefore, the changing of priorities. Any good plan needs to be constantly evaluated and where necessary changes will have to be made.

The study shows that much has been done in the past number of years. However, it also highlights the huge amount that needs to be done. It is important that investment is made in the western road network. There is huge economic development in Galway city, county and in Connemara. However, the biggest problem we have is getting our produce from the far end of Connemara through Galway city and on to Dublin. We need to recognise that this is a barrier to development. This involves interdepartmental agencies working together — the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment must work with the Department of the Environment and Local Government which must work with the roads section and local authorities so there is a cohesive approach to the development of support for businesses and our economy.

It is important that the debate encompasses regionalisation. If there is regionalisation and the parts of the country which need it most get Objective One status, I hope there will be continued Exchequer investment and that the west will not lose out. That is the fight in front of us if we get Objective One status.

The report covers road safety. One of the problems with building better roads is that they are easier to travel on and cars are better and faster. While we are improving road conditions, it is important to look at road safety. The report has identified the different measures which can be undertaken in that area — safety audits on roads throughout the country and a computerised database identifying areas of high risk; this is very valuable. It is important to attack the issue of road safety cohesively and improving road conditions is one way of addressing road safety and reducing the number of deaths on our roads. Road safety is a matter of personal attitude. We get into a car, we choose to drive at a certain speed, we choose whether to wear a safety belt, and if we have a few drinks, we choose whether to drive. Until attitudes to road safety change we will not significantly reduce the number of road deaths. No traffic calming or other countermeasures will affect that.

It has recently come to my attention that many of these wonderful traffic calming measures introduced outside towns and villages are causing difficulty to traffic carrying wide loads. One can often see where a signpost has been knocked down or knocked sideways because it has been hit by a wide load. We need to take that on board. A traffic calming measure should not impact on the ability of trucks and loads getting from one part of the country to another.

I welcome the part of the report which deals with the environment. It is important that, as the country and its culture changes, we recognise that people's concern about the environment is real and valid. Public consultation should become a reality. There should be better public consultation at local and national level when it comes to implementing major road improvements. I welcome the report, the strategic thrust of it and the way we are doing our business — looking at what needs to be done, assessing it, making a plan and reviewing it as time goes on.

Mr. Callanan

I have some difficulty with this report. Obviously it contains some fine measures and conclusions. However, I find the exclusion of a southern corridor objectionable. The western corridor continues to Limerick, Tipperary and on to New Ross. This report was commissioned by the NRA and funded by the EU. Any report which excludes the second capital and does not give access to the southern region begs a question. I have told Ministers that I am extremely concerned about the exclusion of the continuation of the road from Limerick to Cork and on to Rosslare. That would benefit the counties which need it. Why has this corridor been excluded? There is no answer in this report. I ask the Minister of State to convey my concerns and those of others to Government.

Twenty five per cent of agricultural produce comes from County Cork; it cannot be excluded. We cannot exclude Kerry and Cork which benefit substantially from tourism. We cannot virtually exclude Limerick because Limerick city is in the eastern part of the county. It is unfair and unjust. I want to say that clearly. The south-western regional authority is extremely concerned about this, as am I.

If one wants to facilitate fair and even development in this country we should have an east-west corridor. That is not in the report either and I do not know why. If we are planning for the future, then surely there is sense in the southern link and the continuation of the western corridor and the east-west link.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Wallace back to the House. He is also from Cork. I object strenuously to this report because the continuation of the western corridor from Limerick to the southern capital of Cork, the second biggest city in Ireland, is excluded. That is inexcusable. I hope the Minister of State sees my comments as wishing to benefit the whole southern region. Excluding that corridor is excluding benefit to the whole southern region.

There should be an east-west link through the midlands. The country needs and deserves that.

Mr. Burke

I welcome the Minister of State. I have a few comments on the National Road Needs Study. I represent the west, and the national primary route, the N5, comes out of this very badly. The majority of the section from Charlestown to the Roscommon border will not be completed for 15 to 20 years. That is an indictment. We cannot question the basis of the report. It was probably compiled on road traffic counts but does this always justify it?

I wish to question a number of issues in relation to policies set down by the National Roads Authority. If the Government decides to regionalise the country where does that leave us in relation to the National Road Needs Study? Will a separate authority have the power to put forward the roads in the study? Many questions are left unanswered. Did the National Roads Authority consult the IDA when it was compiling this report? Did it consult with all the development agencies in all the regions? I am more than disappointed with the report. I am not disappointed with the basis of the report; I cannot question the integrity of the people who compiled the report and the basis they used; however I am more than disappointed for my own region with the results of this needs study.

I wish to give the Minister of State example of the way the National Roads Authority conducts its business. Recently during the redistribution of the £114 million for Luas, Castlebar received in excess of £1 million to carry out work on a section of the road on the outskirts of Castlebar. The National Roads Authority used an estimate carried out by the local authority 14 or 15 years ago. The National Roads Authority specifically stated that the contract had to go to public tender. Mayo County Council has carried out excellent work with contractors on other national primary routes. However in this case, a small contract based on an estimate for the job carried out 14 or 15 years ago had to go to public tender. The amount of money allocated will amount to about one-third of the cost of the job. I would like to know how it can do this. The job will cost £3 million pounds to complete, the National Roads Authority is allocating only £1 million and it has to go to public tender. The contractor will have to tender for £1 million for a job which will cost £3 million. There will obviously have to be a number of other tenders. More money will have to be allocated. It is a very foolish way for the National Roads Authority to distribute its funding.

All the public representatives in the west are more than disappointed with the results of the National Road Needs Study in relation to the national primary route, the N5. It is quite serious that work being done on the basis of this needs study will not be carried out on most of this route until after 2015. This has very serious consequences for our region. If the country is regionalised how will this affect the report? Can it be brought forward? What is the position? I am sorry to say I am totally against this report.

Ms Leonard

I welcome the National Road Needs Study because now at last we know what the NRA intends to do. It probably should have told us years ago but now at least it is giving us an insight into what they hope to do in the next 20 years. Senator Burke may not like what he has read but at least it appears that somebody is working and looking forward.

Coming from a Border region, prior to this it appeared that there were no roads north of the Dublin to Galway route. I sincerely hope that following from this report the Dublin to Donegal route, the Dublin to Derry route and my area will get our fair share of the cake. For that reason I hope regionalisation will take place. Then we will be included.

In Cavan and Monaghan we have been dependent on heavy traffic industry, particularly in the agri-business of mushrooms, and poultry and in furniture. We do not have a rail system so we are totally dependent on the road network. Unless we assist counties such as my own they will be left behind. The east and midlands have done extremely well. However, in counties such as my own we have the same unemployment rate as years ago as we are still dependent on the same industries. The main industries are agri-business and indigenous industries. If we are to keep up with other counties we need a road network which will bring us from A to B. The important thing is how quickly business can be carried out.

In welcoming this report, I hope areas such as Cavan and Monaghan get their fair share when funds are being allocated.

Mr. Walsh

The Minister said that this study is an assessment of the road needs of the country. Senator Coghlan said it is a blueprint which needs some amendment. The purpose of the debate is to bring influence to bear on Government to make decisions to which we can all subscribe.

One hopes that the NRA, which is charged with responsibility for implementing policy in relation to road improvements, will ensure that this is done in a cost-effective manner from a transport point of view. There is a need for lorry parks on the roads given the introduction of the tacograph and EU regulations. Many transport operators complain that there are no such places for them. People in Roscrea and Enniscorthy approached the NRA on this issue. The NRA stated that these parks cannot be provided on national routes but lorry parks need to be provided on national routes which carry most of the heavy traffic. There is an inconsistency and lack of foresight here. These types of glitches need to be eradicated from the system.

I am familiar with the N30 between New Ross and Enniscorthy which, according to the report, is to be upgraded to a standard two-lane road. This applies to the section from Clonroche but there is a section from Scarke on the New Ross side of Clonroche which is very deficient. This means improving a section of road which needs to be improved but bringing all the traffic into a funnel and causing a bottleneck in another area. This would be very hazardous and dangerous. The report contains oversights such as this which I hope will be removed when the plans are finalised.

The N25 does not figure prominently in the report. There have been major improvements on parts of the N25. One would have thought that the completion of the improvement works on the N25 between Wexford and New Ross would also have been included in the plans.

The N24 which many see as the link from the west to the south-east — particularly the Europort of Rosslare — needs further attention. The standard to which we develop our roads needs to be looked at. In some instances the vision is much too shortsighted and we are looking at roads which will not be able to accommodate the volume of traffic in the next ten to 20 years. We should look much further ahead than a 20 year timespan.

Let us look at the road from Dublin to Cork. I cannot think of any two major cities in any European country that are not joined by a motorway. In Britain and all over Europe one can get from the city straight on to a motorway that will take one to the next major centre of population. The report seems to suggest that future works be carried out primarily to dual carriageway standard. I question whether we need more vision in this regard. Motorways are much safer and more economic. Good roads are fundamental to an increasingly competitive economy throughout Europe where there is harmonisation of taxation and so on. In the same way that the arteries in the body circulates the blood which keeps us all functioning, roads are the arteries for transportation in any economy.

It would be difficult to find areas of capital investment that would yield the same return as investment in roads. At a time when there is a budget surplus it is imperative that we improve our roads, not just for this generation but for future generations. If we get this right now and the blueprint is correct, it will stand as a monument to forward thinking in the future. We should look to continental countries which are prime examples in this regard. My overall criticism of the plan is that it is not sufficiently visionary and will not meet future long-term needs.

I welcome the Minister's announcement of an allocation of £312 million in this regard. This increase of 18 per cent is significant given that inflation is running at 3 per cent. I hope that when priority is being given to the plan we will not be looking to spend £6 billion in the next 20 years. I suggest an investment of less than £500 million per year, most of which will have to be funded by the Exchequer. Under the last roads programme, £1.4 billion was spent on our national roads, £900 million of which was funded by the European Union. This indicates that a real culture change is required at departmental and Government level to make the necessary significant investment necessary in our roads.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House and for his contribution to the debate. I know he is committed to improvements in this regard and I wish him success.

Question put.

The Seanad divided: Tá, 28; Níl, 14.