Eoghan Murphy
Ceist:94. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the proposed bid for the Rugby World Cup. [7802/14]
Other Questions
Sports Events
John O'Mahony
Ceist:108. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the proposed bid for the Rugby World Cup; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7619/14]
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:850. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which it might be possible to enhance tourism in conjunction with the Rugby World Cup; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8305/14]
Will the Minister provide an update on the proposed bid for the Rugby World Cup?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 108 and 850 together.
Last November, the Government considered a memorandum on the discussions and analysis to date on a potential bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023. While the memorandum identified a number of challenges, the great potential of the event is also clear and I believe that hosting the Rugby World Cup on a cross-Border basis in 2023 would be a great opportunity for Northern Ireland and Ireland. Aside from the potential economic boost, the tournament would raise our international profile, not just in terms of sport and tourism but also more widely in terms of business, trade and investment. Attracting major international events is a key element of tourism strategy on both sides of the Border and co-operation between North and South can enhance such events.
In response to the memorandum, the Government expressed strong support for the proposal and for the conduct of further work to get to the stage of making a formal decision to bid. To progress the matter further, the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, and I met with Arlene Foster, MLA, the Minister responsible for tourism in the Northern Ireland Executive, and Carál Ní Chulín, MLA, who is responsible for sport in the Northern Ireland Executive, in Armagh on 22 January. At that meeting, we agreed to establish a working group to examine some key issues further and to report back to Ministers in the summer. The working group will hold its first meeting next Tuesday, 25 February.
I am sure the Minister and the House will join me in wishing the Irish rugby team every success this weekend, when it travels to Twickenham to face England in the RBS 6 Nations Championship. Hosting the Rugby World Cup is a very exciting prospect for this country, not just for rugby fans but for everybody. The country, North and South, can benefit from it in the many years leading up to the games and for many years after them. It is important that when we put the bid together we invest the appropriate time and money in it. It is akin to a bid to host the Olympic Games. Will the Minister make additional funding available for rugby and for hosting the Rugby World Cup, in particular through the sports capital grant programme? Who is on the working group? What bodies are represented on it? Who will chair the working group?
I agree with the Deputy that this would be a great opportunity for the country. With regard to the sports capital programme and the funding we provide each year to rugby in this country, we were delighted this year to be able to keep our funding to the Irish Sports Council intact. I was delighted that rugby got its fair share of the national cake.
Tomorrow meetings will take place in Belfast between those involved, North and South, and an announcement will be made on who will chair the committee. The chairman will be independent and I am pleased that he has accepted the position. Out of respect to our colleagues in Northern Ireland, we will have to wait until tomorrow to announce who the chairman is, but people will be pleased as he is a person of stature who will do an excellent job for the country.
A number of issues will have to be examined. The Deputy asked whether funding would be required to put the bid together. That is one of the issues that will have to be discussed; as well as how much funding will come from the North and how much will come from the South and how much money will be required to put a bid together. These are some of the issues the committee will examine.
I very much welcome the progress that has been made and compliment the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar, on the initiative. It is a demonstration of how sport unifies, North and South. In addition to the IRFU, other sports bodies such as the GAA will be involved. Twenty or 40 years ago that would not have been possible. Will the committee be composed of representatives of the IRFU and other sports bodies or will it be composed of individuals from other countries who have been involved in bids in the past? I presume the IRFU will make the application with the support of the Government. When will the application be made?
The Deputy is correct - sport is something that brings everyone together. During the past five years of the serious economic downturn sport was the one thing that lifted the souls, minds and spirits of the people.
I thank the GAA for making its facilities available because the bid could not happen if it did not do so. There will be representatives of both Governments, North and South, on the working group. There will also be representatives of the three tourism agencies and the IRFU. The composition of the committee is one of the issues that must be discussed. A roadmap will be drawn up of how the bid will be put together. We must decide whether to set up a company and whether the IRFU or the Government will make the bid. That is the point of setting up the committee. Two representatives of the IRFU will be involved. They must be present because we will depend on them to support us with the bid. I have outlined the purpose of the committee, which is to draw up a roadmap and plan the cost and the funding required from the North and the South. The committee will report back to both Ministers before the summer and many other issues will arise along the way. When the report is handed to the Government, we will then make a decision on it.
I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive replies. Will the proposed bid be a joint one by the IRFU in conjunction with another body? Will the Minister of State indicate the extent to which all of the history of rugby in this country might be used as a means to ensure the attractiveness of the various locations in this jurisdiction? By the same token, is it possible for him to indicate the extent to which other sports events of a similar international flavour might be used as a means of attracting tourists to the country in the coming years?
Part of the Deputy’s question is related to what the bid for the Rugby World Cup will do for the country, in particular in terms of tourism. There is no doubt that this is one of the events we could stage. Deputy John O’Mahony has referred to the GAA which will also be involved in the committee. This is an opportunity on which the country cannot pass and I hope we can make a bid, but many stumbling blocks will be encountered along the way. Decisions will have to be made on how much the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive can invest in the process. We have an opportunity to show the world that we can host a major international event such as the Rugby World Cup. It will also show how capable the business community is in this country.
The reason we have so many multinational companies is that they know we can do what is required. We have educated people to staff them and we are able to turn around and do whatever is required. I have no doubt this opportunity should not be lost. We will have to wait for the working group to report back to us, and tomorrow we will announce the chairperson of the group. People will be happy with the chairperson, who is of major prominence and very much involved in business. He will be able to bring it together and do a good job for us.
We have the Minister.
The Deputy will have to wait until tomorrow.
Road Projects Expenditure
Eoghan Murphy
Ceist:95. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether local authorities should have greater discretion with regard to spending on local and regional roads. [7801/14]
Ray Butler
Ceist:99. Deputy Ray Butler asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether local authorities should be given greater discretion with regard to spending on regional and local roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7673/14]
What are the Minister's views on whether local authorities should have greater discretion on spending on local and regional roads?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 99 together.
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on these roads are funded from local authorities' own resources, supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded from this additional funding is also a matter for the local authority concerned.
Last month, I announced that a total of €331.9 million would be provided to local authorities for the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads in 2014. I will give local authorities significantly increased flexibility this year. I have reduced the number of grant categories, increased the amount allocated under the discretionary grant heading and will facilitate the transfer of funds between key grant categories where local authorities need this. Local authorities can also re-prioritise their road strengthening programme where necessary. In addition, local authorities can use up to 15% of their discretionary grant for the local improvement scheme covering non-public roads.
In making adjustments to the regional and local road allocations in 2014, my primary aim has been, as far as is practicable, to strike an important balance. On the one hand, local authorities will have more flexibility than ever to target funding to appropriate repair and rehabilitation schemes in local areas. On the other hand, I want to ensure key programmes that promote preventative maintenance and safety projects on public roads continue to be funded. Given funding constraints, the Government's priority has to be to protect previous investment in the road network. In short, we are putting maintenance and repair first. It is also particularly important that local authorities do not reduce expenditure from their own resources on roads this year in view of the current difficult situation, and that they carefully reassess their planned road programmes for 2014 in light of the impact of the recent storms on their road networks.
In principle, I intend to give local authorities greater, possibly full, discretion over their spending of State grants for roads in 2015. I believe local authorities and their elected members are best placed to make decisions of where and for what roads funding should be spent in their own county rather than allowing that decision to be made by central government or the Department. This, however, will depend on wider Government consideration of the funding of local authorities and the various sources from which local authorities now receive their funds.
I thank the Minister for his response. His intentions and efforts in this area are very welcome. It is very important local authorities do not reduce their funding for road maintenance or for improvement works where they can happen. It is important to continue to invest in roads through maintaining existing local roads or improving road networks where we can, not only because of the recent weather issues but also in terms of investment and economic stimulus for the country. It is also important that individual local authority members rather than the executive take more responsibility in managing funding and prioritising where the money must go. It is not an unlimited amount of money, and some areas need more investment than others. It is for the individual members of Dublin City Council and other local authorities to make use of the money and they know how best to do it.
It is regrettable that the provision to each local authority of 80% of the funding from the local property tax raised in its area is not being maintained. We need to put this commitment back in place on a statutory basis for 2015 so that future Governments will not be able to reverse it.
While no definite decision has yet been made on this, next year I would like to make a block grant to each local authority and leave it up to them to decide how they want to allocate it. If we are serious about local government, this is what we should be doing. As I pointed out earlier, this is only one source of funds that local authorities can use to improve roads. They can also use money from commercial rates. It is intended that next year 80% of the local property tax will go to the local authorities concerned, and this can be increased or decreased by up to 15%.
The Government is moving towards much greater discretion on the part of local authorities in how they raise and spend money on local and regional roads, which is what local government should be all about. As Deputy Eoghan Murphy will be aware, the local property tax is really a matter for the Ministers for Finance and the Environment, Community and Local Government. However, I am of a similar view to the Deputy, that we should ensure the aforementioned 80% commitment will be honoured in 2015 and that the money will stay at a local level and be spent locally.
Airport Security
Clare Daly
Ceist:96. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the fact that the Defence Forces have been called in on aid to civil power duties at Shannon airport over 300 times a year for the past number of years is undermining the commercial operation of the airport. [7520/14]
Recent questions to the Minister for Defence have revealed that almost once a day on average the Defence Forces are called out to back up the Garda Síochána at Shannon Airport. What does the Minister think of this, given that not one single US aircraft has been searched? Is this not somewhat mad and does it not undermine the viability of Shannon as a commercial airport?
The Shannon Airport Authority, SAA, has statutory responsibility to operate, manage and develop Shannon Airport. I have no involvement in matters affecting its commercial operations. Primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State, rests with An Garda Síochána. When requested to so do, in what is referred to as aid to the civil power, ATCP, the Defence Forces may assist An Garda Síochána in carrying out some of its functions. I understand from the Department of Defence which has responsibility for this matter that the Defence Forces have provided assistance for An Garda Síochána at Shannon Airport on occasion. The SAA advises that every effort is made to ensure any disturbance, including those requiring the assistance of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces, does not affect its operations.
Citizens have the right to assemble and protest peacefully at Shannon Airport and An Garda Síochána will facilitate such gatherings on occasion. In this regard, organisers of peaceful protest events should liaise with local gardaí beforehand. However, if protesters do not abide by the laws of the land and engage in criminal activities or public order offences, the Garda and the Defence Forces, if necessary, must intervene to the extent necessary to protect the operation of the airport, its user airlines and the travelling public.
Although the Minister uses the term "on occasion", on average it is approximately once a day. Does he not think it is an incredible irony that legislation is used against protesters and yet not one single US aeroplane has been searched by the relevant authorities? He also speaks about the airport's commercial viability not being undermined, but is it not strange that a 79 year old woman with impaired mobility was able to access the runway together with a colleague? Not only did she occupy the runway but she was obliged to telephone from it to alert the aviation authorities that they had been on the runway for approximately half an hour and that their presence had not been noticed. If that is not peculiar, I do not know what is. Shannon Airport has been operating almost as a 51st state of the Union in facilitating the US military. The Minister will be aware that the United Nations Committee Against Torture asked the Government recently to account for its actions in the use of Shannon Airport. What is he doing in this regard?
No, Deputy, that is not right.
The question must be relevant.
Deputy Timmy Dooley might be given citizenship.
I am unsure whether Deputy Clare Daly thinks security at Shannon Airport is too loose, too lax or too strict.
Too lax, I would say. Too much time is spent down there.
Too lax.
It depends on who one is.
She appears to be contradicting herself.
I will take her on a walk around it. I will take her by the hand.
To give her an idea of the number of aid to the civil power duties, the numbers in 2012, 2011 and 2010 were 381, 327 and 293, respectively. The number of occasions on which the Defence Forces have been called on to aid the civil power has increased in recent years, at a cost of €250,000 per year to the taxpayer. However, the number of munitions of war civilian flights landing at Shannon Airport fell significantly from 1,149 in 2011 to 349 last year. While the number of military flights at Shannon Airport has fallen by more than two thirds in two years, the number of protests and incidents requiring the Defence Forces to be called has increased. There is a story to be told in that regard. I hope the Deputy will agree with me and state in this House that while all Members respect and recognise the right of people to engage in peaceful protest, no one should risk his or her life or the lives of others in engaging in incursions on the runway.
I do not agree with the Minister. For the Official Report, I note that citizens have an international obligation to speak out about wrongdoing and what has gone on in respect of the US military war machine.
Citizens such as Margaretta D'Arcy are to be complimented on sacrificing themselves for the greater good by speaking out against that injustice and the use of Shannon Airport for rendition flights. The authorities are too lax in using the legislation we have to have a go at the military aircraft that are using our facility, but much too harsh on citizens who are speaking out for peace.
No action has been taken under Article 16 provisions of the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation on the searching of planes suspected of involvement in renditions, troops or arms transportation. While the Chicago Convention applies to civil rather than military aircraft, the US has on several occasions commissioned private companies for the transport of troops and arms and to conduct rendition operations. In 2006, Amnesty International highlighted the fact the CIA was hiring civilian aircraft for military purposes to bypass the legislation and regulations in Shannon Airport. Does the Government have any intention of addressing this? Does the Minister not think it is a bit outrageous that a 79-year-old woman, Margaretta D'Arcy, has to go on the runway to highlight the fact that the Government is not doing what it is supposed to do?
The power to search aircraft lies with the Garda, so that is a matter that either Deputy can take up with the Minister for Justice and Equality. They engage with him regularly in Dáil debates so perhaps they can add that to the list of complaints they want to raise with him.
What gave the Minister that impression?
I am disturbed by Deputy Clare Daly's mention of a "sacrifice". It seems she actually thinks it is to be encouraged for somebody to go out on a runway, sacrifice his or her life and maybe even cause the deaths of other people to make some political protest. I find it very disturbing that she would see it as some sort of blood sacrifice that an elderly lady should offer up her life and potentially threaten the lives of others at Shannon.
Will we allow a million people to die in Iraq instead?
Peaceful protest is fine-----
I think the woman is an absolute hero.
-----but people should not engage in incursions on the runway, endangering their own lives and those of others.
There is a bigger crime being committed.
Road Projects
Charlie McConalogue
Ceist:97. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when funding will be made available for the A5; his most recent engagement with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on progressing the A5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7794/14]
This is a question on the current status of the A5, the Minister's most recent engagements with his Northern Ireland counterpart, Danny Kennedy, and an update on the funding commitment.
At the most recent North-South Ministerial Council transport sectoral meeting on 28 November 2013, both the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive reaffirmed their commitment to the A5 scheme and I confirmed the Government's funding commitment of £25 million per annum in 2015 and 2016. We have made no commitments for any project beyond 2016 in any part of the island. At the meeting, the council noted that following the court judicial review ruling on 8 April 2013, work is progressing on an appropriate assessment process, which will be the subject of a public consultation exercise that is expected to take place this spring. I and my Northern counterparts have agreed that once the environmental reviews are completed and the position with regard to the project programme has been clarified, updated programme milestones will need to be prepared for agreement by the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, taking account of financial commitments that are in place.
Can the Minister elaborate on the likely timeline for the completion of that planning process? Could the Minister outline his understanding of where the Northern Ireland Administration is regarding its funding for this project? Before the last election and the planning problems that have arisen there was a commitment from both Governments to co-fund this project. There have been planning issues since than and a change in the funding commitment from the Irish Government, moving from a co-funding commitment to what the Minister just outlined - that is, €25 million in 2015 and again in 2016. However, the Northern Ireland Government indicated that it would continue with the project and do two particular stretches of it. There was time-specific funding from Westminster to the Northern Ireland Executive flowing from the funding commitment given in the St. Andrews Agreement. Planning issues have delayed the spending of that money this year.
Will the Minister update us on the position regarding that funding at the Northern Ireland level? Is it his understanding that the commitment remains, or is there an agreement in place to ensure the money that has been specifically allocated will remain available?
I cannot give timelines and I cannot make a commitment or give a response on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive. It will take however long it takes to get planning permission for the road. I cannot speak on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive when it comes to its funding commitments. However, as far as the Government is concerned, we have renewed and reiterated our commitment to contribute £25 million in 2015 and the same again in 2016. To date, we have already committed €22 million for a road that has not yet been started, which is a little frustrating.
I hope planning permission is given for this road. I would hate to see us allocate £25 million in 2015 and for that not to be drawn down because of the lack of planning permission. We cannot really make allocations or commitments until the road has planning permission. If this was a house, a factory or a school, we would not be making financial commitments until planning permission was granted. The road does not have planning permission at this stage and if the project does get planning permission, it may look very different from the project we are talking about now.
Will the Minister elaborate on the funding commitment post-2016? There was clarity on the funding commitment in the past; the project was to be co-funded. The Government is now three years into its term and next year the first £25 million it has committed to the project is due to be allocated. Hopefully the planning permission is in place for that. The Minister has indicated that there will be a further £25 million for the following year as well. We are only two years away from the end of that period. Will the Minister give us an update on the Government's commitment after that date in terms of what it will give towards the project?
Also, I urge the Minister to engage closely with the Northern Ireland Executive, because we are very much dependent on it to progress this project with the specific funding it had allocated towards it. It is key that the Minister be part of that. I know this is primarily a responsibility for the Executive, but what will happen the ring-fenced funding that was supposed to be spent on the road this year but was not spent due to the planning issues? This funding is critical to seeing the project built. The £50 million we have committed will not be sufficient to build the road, even with the level of funding the Northern Ireland Executive has. Will the Minister elaborate on our Government's long term commitment funding-wise?
As is the case with every major capital project, we have made no commitments for 2017, 2018 or 2019 or beyond. This is true in the case of the DART underground, the metro north, the bus rapid transit project and just about every other road project around the country. The only commitments we have made are up to 2016, except where a contract has already been signed or in the case of an advanced project. The project in question here is a proposed project and does not even have planning permission. We do not know what the project will look like when it finally gets permission. For any project like this, in any part of the island, we have not yet made commitments for 2017 or 2018. We will do that as part of the preparation of a new national development plan to replace the existing plan, which expires in 2016, and we will need to start work on that quite soon.
State Bodies Mergers
Patrick O'Donovan
Ceist:98. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if, in the context of the upcoming merger of the National Roads Authority and the Rail Procurement Agency, he will consider amendments to existing planning legislation and regulatory instruments to allow the NRA and or local authorities to engage in pre-planning consultations with An Bord Pleanála in an attempt to avoid money being spent on planning road projects that are subsequently rejected at a cost to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4840/14]
Patrick O'Donovan
Ceist:797. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if as a result of the proposed merger of the Rail Procurement Agency and the National Roads Authority, he is satisfied that the current legislative and regulatory framework which apply to both organisations is such that both agencies are capable of addressing issues including planning applications and the submission of observations to An Bord Pleanála in respect of major infrastructural projects in the same way; if his Department plans to bring forward requests for legislative changes from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7528/14]
These questions relate to the current position whereby the National Roads Authority is prohibited from entering pre-planning consultations with local authorities or An Bord Pleanála in the context of the construction of new roads across the country.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 797 together.
The planning, design and implementation of individual national road schemes is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the relevant local authorities.
The main purpose of the Roads Bill 2014, which is currently at Second Stage in the Dáil, is to facilitate the merger of the National Roads Authority and the Railway Procurement Agency. The Bill also provides for a number of amendments to the existing provisions of the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007. At present there is no provision in either the Roads Acts or the Planning Acts for the NRA or road authorities to enter into pre-planning-application consultations with An Bord Pleanála on proposed road developments. However, the Planning Acts make provision for pre-planning consultation in regard to various other strategic infrastructure developments, including transport-related projects, with An Bord Pleanála prior to the submission of a planning application.
I believe there is merit to the Deputy's suggestion, which has arisen from our discussions of the future of the Adare bypass.
It makes little sense to me, for example, that the promoters of the Luas can engage in preplanning consultations with An Bord Pleanála but the relevant roads authority cannot do so for a new road. Therefore, if the Deputy wishes to bring forward such an amendment to the Roads Bill on Committee Stage, I am open to accepting it. Alternatively, I will seek to introduce such an amendment to the Bill on Committee Stage. However, as preplanning consultations are a function of An Bord Pleanála and, therefore, primarily a planning matter, this will require close liaision between my Department and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and An Bord Pleanála to ensure we all agree on the way forward.
I welcome the Minister's reply. He will agree that it is intolerable that local authorities and regional road design offices work in a vacuum in designing roads for which An Bord Pleanála refuses permission. We saw this happen in Adare and other parts of the country. The problem does not arise only at preplanning consultation stage but when permission is refused by An Bord Pleanála and the board does not engage with the local authority or the road design office, with the result that they continue to work in Limbo and cannot anticipate the problem in a redesign. Vast sums of Exchequer money are rightly going into projects around the country at the design stage and it is essential to engage in preplanning consultation. One would not build a house without engaging in preplanning consultation with one's local authority, but it is expected that one can be allowed to build roads without doing so. I will bring forward an amendment to the Roads Bill. Will the Minister liaise with his colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, in advance of its being taken? I would like to work with the Minister and the officials in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on the amendment.
The Deputy's point is well made. I did not know until I held this job - it does seem very strange - that the RPA could engage in preplanning consultation with An Bord Pleanála on a Luas project but that the NRA could not do so in the case of a road project. It can certainly be done in the case of a factory or other large development. It makes no sense to me and I am not sure why it is so. It is not provided for in legislation. I do not think that necessarily means that it is precluded, but that is the way it is being interpreted. One thing that frustrates Ministers and the public is that very often millions of euro and a great deal of time can be invested in planning road projects which An Bord Pleanála rejects. It would make a great deal of sense to me if one could sit down with An Bord Pleanála to get a steer on what it might find acceptable or have a problem with. If an amendment could be made with the co-operation of my colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and An Bord Pleanála, it could save us a lot of money and wasted time in the future.
While I welcome the Minister's response, I raised this issue in the context of the situation in Adare, County Limerick which has virtually been left in Limbo because the local authority and the regional road design office are none the wiser about why An Bord Pleanála decided to reject the route of the road. I hope the N21 which conveys the bulk of the tourist traffic from Dublin and Shannon Airports to County Kerry and the south west will be prioritised as part of the capital envelope for future NRA work because the situation is intolerable. I will bring forward the amendment the Minister suggested and would like his officials to liaise with me on it.
I do not want to make a detailed comment on this issue. I know the NRA is considering afresh how the roads around Foynes and Adare could be improved. I have been stuck in Adare on several occasions and it is the major bottleneck on the way to County Kerry. I am very keen to make progress on the issue.
Road Projects Status
Charlie McConalogue
Ceist:100. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when funding will be made available for key infrastructure projects in County Donegal including a new bridge at Cockhill, Buncrana, County Donegal along the R238 Cockhill Road, the Bonagee Link Road and the Lifford-Letterkenny road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7795/14]
When will funding be made available for key infrastructural projects in County Donegal, including a new bridge at Cockhill, Buncrana, along the R238 Cockhill Road, the Bonagee link road and the Lifford-Letterkenny road? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?
The planning, design and implementation of national road projects are matters for the National Roads Authority in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads are the statutory responsibility of each local authority, funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants.
I understand the preferred route has been selected for the proposed N56 Letterkenny relief road which encompasses the Bonagree relief road. However, given the reduced level of funding available for major schemes such as this, it is not possible to provide any additional funding at this time to enable the scheme to progress further.
As regards the N14 Letterkenny to Lifford scheme, I have been advised that Donegal County Council was allocated €300,000 in 2013 to review and update the design of the scheme. A further €50,000 has been provided in 2014 for the N14-N15 to A5 link element of the scheme to allow for the closing out of the statutory processes.
Donegal County Council applied to the Department in 2010 for funding under the specific improvement grants scheme for funds for the Cockhill bridge scheme. The projected cost of the project was €2.95 million. Given the costs associated with the project, it was not possible to approve this application and no further formal funding application has since been received by my Department. Given the need to prioritise funding for repair and strenghtening works, the specific improvement grants scheme has been curtailed in 2014. While provision was made for bridge repair and rehabilitation works in 2014, I understand the Cockhill bridge proposal as submitted in 2010 is outside the scope of such works as it involves major widening works.
It is important to reiterate that the role of Exchequer grant aid is to supplement councils' own resource spending on regional and local roads.
I thank the Minister for his reply. As he will no doubt be well aware, local authorities have limited funds and depend to a large extent on the Government to progress projects such as the Cockhill bridge scheme. The funding he provides just about allows local authorities to keep up with maintenance, but specific funds from central government must be allocated for projects such as the one referred to in Buncrana. The problem with this project has been ongoing for many years. It is a project that should have been undertaken in the past, but, equally, it is one that needs to be completed now. I ask the Minister to give me an indication as to when we can expect to see funds provided of the nature needed to ensure for the people of Buncrana a major artery to the Innishowen Peninsula can be provided.
Regarding the Letterkenny-Lifford link road, does the Minister see potential in terms of the provision of funding in 2015 and 2016 in respect of that allocated for the A5? Does he envisage some of that funding being spent on improving the Letterkenny to Lifford link road?
The Deputy is right. Local authorities are strapped for cash but so is central government. The cutback in funding for roads has been dramatic. The cutback in the National Roads Authority's budget is nearly 80% from its peak. This has been done to protect front-line services such as health, education, the Garda and others. As a result, all we are able to do this year, where something is not a public private partnership, is maintenance and repair work. If I get extra money, I can reconsider this but without extra money, I cannot. To give the Deputy an indication of what it means, the amount of money going to Donegal County Council from my Department for the repair and maintenance of roads in the county is €18.5 million which is a lot of money, but if I was to take €3 million from that figure for the bridge he proposes - it would not come from something else - it would amount to a 20% cut in the maintenance budget for the rest of the county. That would not be the right decision for County Donegal. Money is finite and there is no pot of unallocated moneys. If I did put money towards new bridges, I would have to take it from the funding for maintenance works. Therefore, to build this one bridge in County Donegal, we would have to cut the maintenance budget for the entire county by 20%, which would not be a good idea.
The Minister has already cut the money for County Donegal by a very significant margin. In the past two years we have seen it decrease. If he could give an assurance that he would not reduce funding to the level to which it has been cut, he might be in a position to proceed with some of the projects mentioned. I know the national finances are in a difficult position, but, equally, there are significant projects that need to be progressed. It is important that people are given a timeline to allow them to look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition. I ask the Minister to consider providing a fund to deal with specific major infrastructural projects similar to the three I have outlined. It simply cannot be done with the funding he is giving which is essential to maintain the current road network.
I will be blunt. The reason we have had to cut back on road spending so much is that the economy crashed under the watch of the Deputy's party.
The Minister can do better than that.
I would love to be able to look into a crystal ball and tell the Deputy when we will be able to undo the damage his party did. I cannot do that, but if there are signs in the economy, they are that a slow recovery is under way. I hope that in next year's budget we will see an increase in funding for roads. I cannot guarantee this, but that is what I am fighting for.