Brendan Smith
Question:114. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport the level of funding that will be provided for a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8569/24]
View answerThursday, 22 February 2024
Questions (114)
Written answers
The planning and implementation of the A5 upgrade project is the responsibility of the authorities in Northern Ireland.
The funding arrangements in relation to the A5 were governed by the 2014 Stormont House Agreement and Implementation Plan - A Fresh Start, and under this Agreement the Government had committed to provide funding of £75 million towards the cost of the A5 upgrade scheme once the statutory planning process in Northern Ireland was concluded. Provision of £25 million sterling was made by my Department in 2024 for funding the scheme should it have been required.
It was announced on February 20th that as part of Government funding commitments for Shared Island projects, €600 million was being committed for the progression of the A5 project.
The Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland estimates the total scheme cost for the A5 project is £1.6billion with completion expected by 2032/2033 and the largest funding demands over the 2025 to 2028 period. The Department for Infrastructure has informed the Department of Transport that construction of the Main Works is currently planned to start in April or May of 2024 with the commencement of Section 1 from Newbuildings to Strabane. However, this is subject to a number of conditions being met, including a positive outcome from the report of the Public Inquiry, completion of the Statutory Orders and agreement of a Target Cost with the contractor. If there is a further legal challenge the start dates will likely be revisited.
I can confirm that my Department regularly engages with colleagues in the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. These engagements consider a range of North/South transport proposals, including the A5, and further engagement is scheduled over the coming months. In October 2023 there was a bilateral meeting in Dublin between Departmental officials and Northern colleagues in relation to the A5.