Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 28 Feb 1990

Vol. 396 No. 4

Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Construction Programme.

Liam Kavanagh

Ceist:

13 Mr. Kavanagh asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the considerable concern that has been expressed by professional and representative organisations in the construction industry over the shortfall in the capital provision for the national route road construction programme and the failure to meet existing targets in relation to the construction of sections of the national primary route system; if he will publish a revised national roads programme outlining the exact routes which will be constructed in the next three years with Irish and European capital financial assistance; the extent of those routes; their location; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Mr. Flynn

The Government plan to spend £662.7 million (1989 prices) on the improvement of the network of national roads over the period 1989 to 1993. This is 25 per cent greater in real terms than the amount provided in the previous five years 1984 to 1988. The Government have also succeeded in negotiating 75 per cent EC grants for national primary roads and hope to obtain up to £50 million by 1993 in toll-based private investment to accelerate the development programme.

A draft operational programme for roads and other transport infrastructure was submitted to the EC Commission in December last. This contains a detailed strategy for the development of national roads and a programme of major projects on the national primary routes. The programme is currently under discussion with the Commission. It is planned to publish it when it has been formally approved by the Commission. Pending approval of the programme, I do not propose to indicate what major projects it is planned to undertake in the period up to the end of 1993.

On 8 February last I issued a press statement on the 1990 road programme. This year I am allocating State grants totalling £215.7 million — the highest level ever provided. Of this, £116.5 million will be spent on the national road improvement programme. Five major schemes with an estimated total value of £98 million will start this year, eight will be completed and construction on a further 13 will continue.

Mr. Ryan

Is the Minister concerned that representatives of organisations in the construction industry have stated that the Department's targets have not been met? Will the Minister give a commitment in relation to Balbriggan, which is dying from congestion? Will he bring forward the planned by-pass for this town before it is too late?

Mr. Flynn

I am pleased the Deputy recognised that there is a developmental road programme in progress. I cannot comment on individual locations but I recognise that there are bottlenecks. The purpose of the programme is to ease those bottlenecks and to create a better national roads network. It is important that rural Deputies should understand that we are also committing a very sizeable figure to county non-national roads, which must be appreciated, because quite a large proportion of our population live in rural provincial areas.

Mr. Shatter

Will the Minister indicate when he expects to receive formal approval from the Commission for the roads plan? Will he indicate how rapidly after formal approval is received it will be published? Will the Minister also comment on reports that the Government are experiencing considerable difficulties in getting private sector involvement — as they originally suggested they would be able to obtain — in matching funds for the road programme and that this is placing in jeopardy many millions of pounds that we could otherwise get from the EC? Will the Minister indicate how many roads he intends to make toll roads? Finally, is he aware of the considerable concern expressed about the likelihood of a large number of additional toll roads which will add substantial expense to the motorist?

Mr. Flynn

The lack of private investment available for national roads will not result in us losing any money in so far as EC Structural Funds are concerned, as we will get our maximum amount there anyway. I was hoping — and I still hope — that it might be possible to attract private investment in major road developments. The Deputy will remember that on a number of occasions I placed a limit on the amount, I did not think it would ever exceed £100 million. I still think I am pretty near the mark there.

Mr. Shatter

There are reports that the Minister has only received commitments in respect of £50 million.

Mr. Flynn

Yes, but I am talking about a period of three or four years. I am still reasonably happy that we might very well attract a reasonably substantial sum of money but, as I said on a programme yesterday, one would not be inclined to have toll roads unless a major proportion of the money was forthcoming from the private sector because a small amount of money with a big diversion rate from the road would not serve the best interests of anybody. We got a very good deal in relation to the Dublin ring road and it might be possible to get some private funding for the Lucan-Kilcock ring road. There are one or two other locations but, beyond that, it does not seem possible to attract major investment and I am not in favour of putting toll bridges on roads which have a big diversion rate for a small sum of private money as it would not be in our best interests.

Mr. Gilmore

Will the Minister accept, given the size of the public investment in roads — particularly the European investment — that it is most unsatisfactory to have a situation where we do not have a current published roads programme or any indication of the Government's policy and priorities in this area? Will he inform us if there are any sets of priorities and what they are?

Mr. Flynn

There are——

Mr. Gilmore

What are they?

Mr. Flynn

They will be published——

Mr. Gilmore

When?

Mr. Flynn

As soon as the programme has been cleared and approved by the Commission, and those negotiations are going on at present.

Mr. Gilmore

When does the Minister expect those negotiations to be concluded?

Mr. Flynn

The roads element of the programme is clear but it is attached to other transport elements. I understand that that might very well be cleared in the immediate future and the rest cleared within about six weeks. I have indicated that it will be published because Deputies, the general public and indeed investors should be aware of what the programme entails, the policies underlining it and the progress we hope to attain over the next five, ten or 15 years. That is the time-scale of the programme and it will then be a matter for the National Roads Authority to implement the recommendations.

Mr. Cotter

Is the Minister aware that the condition of our roads, particularly in rural areas, is appalling? The confident statements he made earlier on do not match the reality. Is he aware that the people who live in rural areas do not agree with his comments about investment? The Minister is very proud of the investment last year and of his remarks in 1987 when he said that there would never again be a pothole is Ireland. That was a most immature remark.

Mr. Flynn

All those potholes have been filled but new ones have opened.

Mr. Cotter

Many of the potholes to which the Minister referred have joined and formed bigger ones.

Mr. Shatter

The Minister is falling into a political pothole.

Mr. Cotter

Is the Minister aware that his assessment and the reality are very far apart? He obviously——

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy is embarking on a speech, which is out of order.

Mr. Flynn

Deputy Cotter should be the last to complain, because I increased dramatically the amount given to his local authority to deal with rural roads. The Deputy should be fair and acknowledge that. The kind of money provided by this Government went from £15 million to £20 million, with £150 million guaranteed over three years with a further £15 million added in the last budget. That kind of investment was not even contemplated — never mind thought possible — a few short years ago. I recognise that we must look after our county roads and that the inclement weather over the last couple of months has not helped. New methods of road surfacing and doing business must be put in place and we are doing something in that regard. I cannot allow people to say that there has not been a major commitment, as far as money is concerned, to county roads and non-national roads over the past few years.