Micheál Martin voices concern about road project delays

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has been “left hanging” regarding the delivery of some road projects, with Tánaiste Micheál Martin saying there have been “challenges within governments” over policy around building roads.

His comments come after a recent interview with the Irish Examiner in which TII chief executive Peter Walsh said that a multi-annual funding allocation would give TII certainty for several years ahead and allow it to better plan for projects that take years to advance.

“The point about multi-annual funding is a valid point,” Mr Martin said.

“There have been challenges within governments in terms of policy around building roads.

“I support the building of public transport, and we had commitments that the NDP roads that had been agreed in the original National Development Plan and in subsequent [years] would be delivered.

“That hasn’t happened to the degree that I would have liked.

“Fianna Fáil are very clear, and so is the Fine Gael party, we need to build roads in addition to developing public transport.

“Some of the public transport projects are more longer term by the time they come on stream because of all the various steps and procedures, and TII have suffered in terms of being left hanging out there in respect of some road projects, lacking clarity, and that was something we did not sign up for in Government and it is something I am concerned about, and for the want of small money quite a number of projects could be started by now.

“So that will be an issue and it will be an issue that we will be making clear in our manifesto for the next election, and going into any new government there will not be any ambiguity about this.”

In response to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD David Stanton in recent days, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan confirmed he has no plans to provide multi-annual funding to TII.

Funding, he said, is put in place as part of the annual budget process, and exchequer funding is “drawn down by TII through the submission of invoices to the Department of Transport on a regular basis”.