Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 March 2017
30. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will ensure that the road development needs of the Border region are given particular consideration in the review of the present capital plan given the many challenges that will arise for business and commerce in the Border region due to Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14185/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra82. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of businesses in the Border region due to the difficulties arising from Brexit and the need to improve infrastructure, particularly the road network, to assist businesses in remaining competitive; if the road development needs of this region will be prioritised for investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14186/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister and I had the opportunity to discuss the substance of this matter in the House before. Given the huge challenges emerging for business and commerce in the Border region due to Brexit and its adverse impacts on the Border economy, I put the need to upgrade the road infrastructure in the region to the Minister during Question Time, in a Topical Issue debate and privately at a meeting with him, for which I am grateful. We do not have a rail network in Ulster and we need a modern road network. There is an urgent need to prioritise a number of routes in the Border region to ensure that they are up to the standard which local business and commerce and residents deserve.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 82 together.
I have a rather long answer for the Deputy, but I will amalgamate the two questions. Forgive me if I take a few minutes to do it. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in regard to the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
In accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant local authority. Works on those roads are funded from the local authorities' own resources, supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
The transport element of the capital plan sets out investment priorities to 2022 and was framed by the conclusions reached in my Department’s strategic investment framework for land transport. Based on the findings in that report it is envisaged that maintenance and renewal of the road network will continue to be the main priority over the next period and the bulk of the roads capital budget, approximately €4.4 billion, is earmarked for such essential work. A further €600 million has been allocated for implementation of the PPP road programme which is already under way and the balance for the limited number of road improvement projects included in the plan.
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has indicated that there is a total of €2.6 billion in additional funding available between 2018 and 2021 for allocation under the review of the capital plan. While I am conscious of the many competing demands for extra resources, my Department has submitted a very strong case for additional funding consistent with the principles identified and a number of the proposed measures, if approved for funding, will be of benefit to the Border counties. I understand that departmental submissions will be published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
I will list a few of the roads in the Border region where the capital plan provides for significant investment in transport links impacting on the wider Border region. These include the N4 Collooney-Castlebaldwin section of the Dublin-Sligo route, the two rolling schemes from Dungloe to Glenties and Inver to Mountcharles on the N56 - strengthening regional links in Donegal - and the N2 Slane bypass, subject to planning, on the Dublin-Monaghan route. The capital plan also restates the Government's commitment to €75 million over three years to the development of the A5 in Northern Ireland.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Will he make a strong argument to Government on the need to provide additional funding in the mid-term capital review to address the infrastructural deficit in the Border region, particularly the road network? As I mentioned earlier, unfortunately we do not have a rail network and movement of persons and goods, including goods for export, has to be by road. Public representatives, the Minister as a member of Government, colleagues and civic society in general will spend a lot of time over the next two years discussing issues pertaining to Brexit as well as having many discussions with the British Government and at European Union level. Many of the issues are outside the competence of Government to decide. One thing within the competence of Government is to decide where national expenditure should go and to seek particular EU funding for infrastructural development. I previously asked the Minister to put forward a case through the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the need to seek cohesion funding post-2020 given the specific needs of the Border region and the adverse impacts Brexit will have on that region and economy.
I gave a commitment to Deputy Smith that I would do that and when I leave this evening I will find out the current position. The Deputy was seeking special EU cohesion funds for Border areas, which I consider a reasonable request. I do not know the current position. It was only a couple of weeks ago and I do not know if we have received a response at this stage. I will follow it up because I consider the request perfectly fair. As the Deputy knows, the whole Brexit situation is in a state of flux. It might be a little early to say that we are looking for some sort of special deal for roads in the Border regions because of the adverse effects of Brexit and a hard border on them, given that we do not know what the effect will be at the moment. However, I understand the difficulties for Border towns and Border trade and am sympathetic. If this requires additional infrastructure, I will certainly look at it as being a particular case. I do not want to give a complete and utter blanket commitment at this stage when we do not know specifically what the consequences will be for the Border areas or anywhere else.
I disagree with the Minister in one respect in that Brexit has already had adverse impacts on the Border region, particularly on some of the food sectors. It has also damaged business confidence. Those of us who represent the Border region are all aware that some enterprises have shelved plans to consolidate or expand and increase employment.
Another telling argument is that the Troubles and a lack of economic development in the Border region have meant employment in the region is predominately based in small and medium enterprises. The facts show that of all the regions, the Border region has the highest proportion of exports to the sterling area. It will, therefore, be impacted when we no longer share a trading area with Britain. The estimated costs of Brexit to business are readily identifiable they will impact most on the Border region. I emphasise that small and medium enterprises in the region are more dependent on the British market than those of any other part of the country.
The Minister stated that it is a little early to say what will be the impact on the Border region. Speaking for those living in counties Cavan and Monaghan, it is never too early to start shouting for Border counties. Brexit looms large in the hearts and minds of everyone in my constituency, particularly those involved in small and medium enterprises and agriculture. Lakeland areas in the heart of the constituency, including Killeshandra, Lough Egish and Baileborough, have significant industry, with thousands of gallons of milk from the North processed daily in the area.
Roads in Cavan-Monaghan are being hammered because the funding available to local authorities to spend on local roads has declined by 50% since 2008. No money has been spent on the local improvement scheme in the constituency. It is not too early to fly the flag for Border counties.
The issue is simply that the detail is not known. I take the Deputies' point, however, because I know the Border counties are feeling the pinch already, particularly on trade and by small and medium enterprises to which both Deputies referred. This will obviously have a knock-on effect on infrastructure and roads.
My Department has submitted its proposals for the current capital review. The final outcome will be decided by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Government. However, a number of possible investments impacting on the Border region have been considered in the submission. In identifying projects, I considered a range of factors, including congestion, regional development and the wider development context. For example, if the A5 proceeds as planned, the N2 links to the A5 from Monaghan will need to be improved and this was factored into the submission. Similarly, current IDA Ireland plans for investment in Sligo require investment in regional and local roads. Projects which had cleared planning were also factored in, for example, the Ardee bypass on the N2 in County Louth and linking Monaghan to Dublin.
