Vol. 461 No. 6
26 Miss Harney asked the Minister for the Environment whether he can envisage a single-island roads policy being developed at some stage in view of the highly experienced and professional road building skills that reside with the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment. [3364/96]
The overall objective of national road development policy, as outlined in the Operational Programme for Transport 1994 to 1999, is to provide, within the framework of a balanced and integrated transport policy, for the safe, efficient and cost effective movement of people and goods by road. One of the key aims of the programme is to link in with the network in Northern Ireland so as to provide, over time, a coherent strategic road network for the island as a whole.
In seeking to secure those aims, there is a high level of on-going contact and co-operation between the road authorities here and in Northern Ireland, all of which have available to them people of experience and skill. I refer, in this connection, to the detailed reply to Questions Nos. 14 and 92 of 12 December 1995.
