I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 74 together.
I share the concerns of the Deputy in relation to the potential adverse effects of Brexit on the Border region. The Government remains firmly of the view that the best and only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal and protect the Good Friday Agreement is to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement, agreed between the EU and the British Government.
In 2018, following the publication of the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework, Minister Donohoe and I wrote a joint letter to Transport Commissioner Bulc and Regional Policy Commissioner Cretu emphasising the considerable challenges facing Ireland in the transport sector and setting out how the NDP and NPF will inform future investments into the regions, including the West, Border and North West regions which will be particularly impacted by Brexit. We made the point that investment in infrastructure has the potential to mitigate the implications of Brexit in these regions.
A proposal for a new Regulation for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) - the funding mechanism for TEN-T from 2021 - is also currently under consideration at EU level. A Partial General Approach was agreed in relation to this proposal at Transport Council last December, which would in principle mean that post 2020 calls for funding may be open to infrastructure on the Comprehensive Network in Member States where there is no land border with another EU Member State. If this is maintained as part of the final agreed Regulation, it will mean that organisations will continue to be eligible to apply for funding for projects coming within the application criteria after 2020.
My Department continues to liaise with the European Commission in relation to the TEN-T network in the context of Brexit, including in relation to the EU’s proposal outlined above, and my Department has raised Ireland’s concerns about the implications for connectivity and trade in light of the UK's decision to leave the EU.
In relation to roads and the Border Region, the National Development Plan sets out the Government’s ambition in this area. Chapter 4 of the NDP looks at how targeted investment can promote economic resilience in the border region in the context of Brexit. This Chapter touches on a range of measures including investment in transport links. The NDP includes references, among other projects, to the N2/A5 roads, the N14 from Manorcunningham to Lifford, the N52 Ardee Bypass, the N2 Slane Bypass, the N4 from Collooney to Castlebaldwin, and the N56 in Donegal.
Schemes on these routes are at various stages of development and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, in conjunction with the relevant local authorities, will be advancing the schemes on a phased basis within the overall capital budget available to it.
As regards regional and local roads, I have been pleased to be able to allocate significantly increased grant funding to local authorities over the last two years. In this context grant allocations to Cavan and Monaghan in 2019 are up over 40% compared to the 2017 allocation.
While the main focus continues to be on maintenance and renewal expenditure, some limited funding is available for Specific and Strategic road improvement grants. Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific or Strategic Grant Programmes are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case project basis and must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and my Department's Capital Appraisal Framework.
Grant funding being provided to local authorities in border counties includes a grant to Cavan County Council to enable the Council to update previous appraisal work relating to an upgrade of the Cavan to Dundalk regional road route. The aim is to assess the extent to which the scheme or elements of it can be justified in terms of appraisal and advanced for further consideration.
