Written Answers. - Road Network.
Seymour Crawford
Ceist:
128
Mr. Crawford
asked the
Minister for the Environment and Local Government
if he has satisfied himself that sufficient funds are made available in the National Development Plan 2000-2006 to deal with the necessary upgrading of national secondary roads going from east to west in the Border region; his view on whether the upgrading of cross-Border national secondary roads are important if links which have been broken as a result of the past 30 years of troubles are to be rebuilt; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25736/99]
I am satisfied that the NDP provides the strategic framework, and the funding, to ensure the development of a high quality road network in the Border area.
The NDP provides for a total investment of £4.7 billion in national road improvement and maintenance over the period 2000-06, a threefold increase on the 1994-99 period. The NDP also sets out a strategic framework for the development of the national roads network over the coming seven years. This framework provides for major improvements on a number of national primary routes, N2, N3, N13-N15, N16, which serve the Border area and which are also major cross-Border routes.
The NDP also provides for improvements on key national secondary routes which are of particular importance for economic and regional development; and the evaluation over the period 2000-06 of the need for the development of new routes to augment these mentioned in the NDP. Where the need for a new route is established, funding will be provided for the advance planning and design of the route in the plan period, with a view to bringing the project to construction within an appropriate timeframe.
It will be a matter for the NRA, within the framework of the NDP, to promote a more detailed programming of the work required on the national road network and to manage, in co-operation with local authorities, the planning, design and implementation of individual road development projects.
The improvement of cross-Border road links is also a priority of the non-national road programme. Over the period 1994-99 a total of £983 million will have been invested in the non-national road network. The NDP provides for £1.6 billion to be invested in non-national roads, of which in the order of £702 million is expected to be invested in the Border, midland and western region.
The key objectives of non-national roads expenditure in the Border Midland and Western region in this period will be to complete the restoration programme to restore all non-national roads in county council areas by the end of 2005 and to assist all roads authorities to improve the non-national network, including cross-border and border roads, through the provision of grants under various categories, in a manner which supports the economic and social development of the region.
