As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The 2010 national roads allocation of €1.115 billion demonstrates this Government's continued commitment to upgrade the State's national road infrastructure in the face of the current economic crisis and represents an average investment of €93 million per month in Ireland's national roads.
The focus for 2010 is on completing the remaining sections of the major inter–urban routes linking Dublin with the Cork, Limerick and Waterford with 292 km of new roads opening during the year. As a result no major new road construction projects will start in 2010. The NRA is currently reviewing its plans for 2011 and 2012 in the likelihood of reduced Exchequer funding in those years. Alternative means through, for example, additional public private partnership projects are being considered at present.
The situation in relation to the Leinster Orbital route remains unchanged. Neither Transport 21 nor the National Development Plan provides any funding for a Leinster Orbital Route. The Government has already made it clear that under Transport 21, its priorities for the national roads investment programme, after the completion of the major inter-urban network in 2010, will be the Atlantic Road Corridor as well as the improvement of other key national primary routes and the targeted improvement of certain national secondary routes. It is clear that, in the current economic climate, further progress on projects such as the Leinster Orbital Route will only be possible as and when resources become available.