Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 February 2024
17. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport if he has an update on the funding for Mallow relief road and the Cork city north distributor road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4557/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank the Deputy for his question. The Mallow Relief Road is identified as a project for consideration in the current National Development Plan. Town bypasses allow for traffic to be redirected from the centre of our towns and villages, freeing them up for pedestrians and cyclists, improving air quality, and allowing public realm improvements. In the case of Mallow, this will have a significant impact on HGV traffic, which is a particular problem for the town. It is also anticipated that this scheme will enhance active travel linkages to Mallow train station. This is in keeping with the "Town Centre First" policy, and supports Compact Growth in town centres, which is a National Strategic Outcome.
A preferred route has now been selected, and the next phase will involve the detailed design and environmental evaluation of the scheme. I can confirm that €100,000 was allocated for the Mallow Relief Road scheme in 2023. As with all national roads projects in the NDP, the delivery programme for the project will be considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII. TII will outline further funding arrangements for 2024 in the near future.
The proposed Cork Northern Distributor Multi-Modal Route has been developed as part of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS). This aims to reduce the dependency on the private car within the Cork metropolitan area, and the Northern Distributor Route will cater for buses as well as providing segregated infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, reducing reliance on radial routes through Cork City Centre.
I understand that Cork City Council submitted a Strategic Assessment Report to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for approval last year and the NTA issued its approval in December. That permits the projects to move to the next stage of the lifecycle which involves route selection and detailed design.
