Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Nov 1993

Vol. 436 No. 4

Written Answers. - Waterford/Dublin Route.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

46 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment the reason it has been decided that major expenditure on the Waterford/Dublin route will take place via Enniscorthy, County Wexford rather than the traditional route through County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Phil Hogan

Ceist:

173 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment the reason he decided the Waterford/Dublin route should be planned through Enniscorthy rather than through County Kilkenny as outlined in the National Development Plan, 1994-1999; if he will give the reference in the submission of the south-east sub-regional review group demanding that this route be given priority for investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. M. Smith)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 173 together.

Under theNational Development Plan, 1994-1999, the development strategy for national primary routes will focus on four key corridors. These have been selected to include routes which are part of the trans european road network proposed by the EC to reduce the impact of Ireland's peripheral location within the EC, to promote economic integration, to provide access to all major centres of population and open up remote areas, and to integrate the strategic internal network with the access transport network of ports and airports. The North/South corridor consists of Euroroute E01 and E30, that is National Primary Routes N1, N11 and N25. These link the three largest centres of population (Dublin, Belfast and Cork) and provide access to four commercial seaports (Dublin, Rosslare, Waterford and Cork).

While national primary routes N9 and N10 are not included in any of the four corridors referred to in the plan, there is also provision in the plan for investment in national primary routes not included in the corridors in order to tackle deficiencies on these roads and to assist regional development. Investment in the N9 and N10 routes will be considered in this context over the period of the Plan.

The submission of the south east regional review group emphasised the importance of improving the road links between Dublin and Waterford and, while it identified certain works or these links as having a high priority, it did not accord priority to one route over another.