Martin Kenny
Ceist:7. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on engagement he has had in relation to the N17 upgrade. [30140/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 22 June 2023
Ceisteanna (7)
Freagraí ó Béal (18 píosaí cainte)
I would like to find out what engagement there has been with Sligo County Council and Mayo County Council in regard to the upgrade of the N17. There is a proposal to build large sections of new road along the route. Farmers have had lands frozen for development for decades in anticipation of this project happening. As the Minister of State knows, the Minister, on a visit to Sligo a couple of weeks ago, announced it would not happen and instead that some alternative small upgrades would be made to certain sections of the road. We need clarity because this essential infrastructure needs to be built.
As I have said previously, once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP. Approximately €491 million of Exchequer capital funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2023. These allocations were announced by the Department and TII on 16 February 2023.
The N17 Knock to Collooney scheme has been identified in the national development plan. TII has been working to progress this scheme through planning, design and construction. I met Sligo County Council recently on a number of issues, as has the Minister for Transport. This project was one of the topics that was discussed. I can confirm that €400,000 has been allocated for the N17 Knock to Collooney scheme in 2023.
An emerging preferred transport corridor was released earlier this year, with a period of public consultation taking place thereafter. Finalisation of route selection following feedback and public consultation is under way by TII and is expected to be completed in the near future. Additional tasks, including traffic modelling and reporting, are also ongoing. As I have said previously, as with all national roads projects in the national development plan, the delivery programme for 2024 and the funding allocations will be made later this year. The scheme remains a key part of the national development plan and will be considered as part of the overall funding envelope made available next year and in future years.
Projects in the national development plan are the responsibility of the TII or some other body to develop, propose and move forward. We continually hear that the Minister cannot interfere in these projects because someone else is doing them. It is a case of God bless it and good luck to it but the Minister cannot get involved. That is basically the answer. The Minister then arrives at a meeting where he tells members of a local authority that a project is in the county development plan, a public consultation is under way and it is in the national development plan and Project Ireland 2040. He says it is here and is committed to but we are not doing it.
That is basically what he said. There is a contradiction there. Either the Minister can say we are not doing something because he has taken a set against it, or he cannot. I would like to know which it is. Does the Minister have the power to do that? Can we have all of the consultants' energy put into developing these plans, setting out all of these infrastructural proposals and then somebody can come along and say: "You know, I don't think that's going to happen"?
I thank Deputy Kenny. He will get a chance to come back in.
That is completely inappropriate. We need to get a commitment from all of the Government to build this road.
We are over time.
As Deputy Martin Kenny knows, the Government is funding this road in 2023. Some €400,000 is being allocated, which is allowing it to progress. The decision the Government made on this road-----
That is for improvement to the existing road.
No. The decision the Government made on this road was to include it as a key road in the national development plan. The briefing I have received is very clear. It is that the project will assist in the delivery of a high quality road network along the Atlantic corridor, linking Cork, Limerick, Galway and Sligo. It will provide enhanced regional accessibility in the context of Ireland West Airport Knock and remove through traffic from a number of towns and villages with which the Deputy will be familiar, and that will have positive social and environmental impacts on local residents.
From my engagement with the council as well, I am aware of the importance of progressing this road in the context of road safety. The collision figures for this road are particularly concerning. The Government allocated funding for this road in 2023. All decisions related to funding for 2024 will be made later this year. That relates to every road.
I thank the Minister of State. He will get a chance to come back in.
When it comes to the national development plan, the Government decided to include this as a key road.
I appreciate that. A major part of the national development plan is multi-annual funding, which is to ensure that the money is there into the future, not just for this year and sure we will see what happens next year. It is about making sure that we have a commitment to deliver. So far, the commitment is only for this year and then it stops. That is the problem. I appreciate the frustration that I am sure some in government have. It is not just those in opposition who have concerns as to how some of these things happen. We must get down to brass tacks and we must deliver. The only way we can deliver is to ensure that these commitments are stood over. If it is in the national development plan and if it is the Government's priority to deliver this road, it is not sufficient to provide a little fig leaf toward it by giving it some money for this year and then to stop it after that. It has to be a broad and long-term commitment to ensure that the road is delivered and that the proper infrastructure is put in place for public safety and also for economic development. The Sligo region and particularly Sligo town could have a huge economic impact if we got the resources and investment put in there to develop it.
As the Minister of State is aware, the road from Curry to Collooney is highly dangerous. Does the Government have a policy, because policy is the remit of the Government not of TII, of directing urgent funding towards roads that are dangerous and substandard and do not comply with national standards for primary routes and secondary routes?
I again thank both Deputies for their advocacy for this road and for reflecting the concerns of the local community, which I heard myself when I visited Sligo County Council. I can only emphasise that this road is being included in the national development plan. The allocations for all roads are made annually at the end of the year to allow for continuity of funding. The allocation will be made later on this year in the context of this road and all other roads. That is the case with all of the national roads if the Deputies were to ask me about them in the context of the national development plan.
There is an important regional aspect in terms of regional development and also from a road safety perspective. I appreciate the Deputy raising that point. The reason we are developing many of these roads is because of the collision data, some of which is shocking. A lot of people have lost their lives on that road and that cannot be lost in the context of this discussion. We often talk about economic development and other matters when it comes to roads investment, but a singular important point in the context of 30 years of roads investment has been the dramatic reduction in road deaths and the improvement of our road network has played an important role in that regard.
I thank the Minister of State.
It is something that will be discussed in the context of my role with responsibility for road safety.
We are way over time.
We must make sure that we take into account any concerns relating to road safety in the context of roads investment.