Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 November 2020
23. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport the progress on construction of the new N22 Macroom and Ballyvourney bypass; the status of and anticipated timeline for the N22 Killarney bypass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35799/20]
View answerIntroduction
Firstly, I would like to explain that, as Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and securing exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), under the Roads Act 1993- 2015, the planning design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Overall, TII is responsible for the delivery of the National Roads Programme in accordance with Project Ireland 2040 and the National Development Plan (NDP).
In that context, TII provides my Department with regular updates on its delivery of the National Roads Programme.
Background
Within the overall context of Project Ireland 2040, the NDP has been developed by Government to underpin the successful implementation of the National Planning Framework. This provides the strategic and financial framework for TII's national roads programme for the period from 2018 to 2027.
In line with the Programme for Government, the Government has recently commenced a review of the NDP. As part of this review, the Minister for Public Expendture and Reform launched a public consultation on 3rd November, providing interested parties with the opportunity to input to the process. Taking account of feedback received, a revised NDP is planned to be published by Summer 2021, setting out a capital investment envelope for infrastructure to 2030.
N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom
Project outline
This new road development, currently under construction, consists of a 22km upgrade of the N22 National Primary Route from Ballyvourney to Macroom to a dual carriageway standard. This will comprise a bypass of Macroom Town and the villages of Ballyvourney and Ballymakeera, Co Cork. This scheme is on the TEN-T Comprehensive route and will strengthen the link between Cork and Kerry.
Current status
The previous Government approved the award of the construction contract in October 2019 and construction on site commenced in December 2019, with a cost estimate of circa €280 million. Good progress on construction is currently being made and it is expected that the dual carriageway will be operational in 2023.
N22 Farranfore to Killarney
Project outline
This scheme consists of 27km of road improvement between Farranfore and Killarney along the N22. The scheme provides for a bypass of Farranfore village, a new realigned N22 including a link into Killarney town and an outer bypass of Killarney town.
Current status
The Pre-Appraisal Plan (PAP) was approved by my Department in December 2018. However, Kerry County Council revisited the PAP to include an additional link on the N71 Muckross Road and the PAP was resubmitted to the Department. This was approved by my Department in October 2019 and Kerry County Council have procured and awarded the Technical Advisor contract for the scheme and the scheme is progressing through planning and design.
As the project is in the early stage of planning, it is not yet possible to provide an accurate estimate of the total cost. The progression of the scheme is dependent on the availability of funding and statutory approval. The timeframe for delivery of any major or minor works/projects that require statutory approval, including in relation to an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) or Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) or both, is between 8 to 13 years.
