N4 and N5 upgrades
Deputy Murphy pressed for upgrades to the N4 and N5, describing them as vital and in poor condition. The Taoiseach said both roads were in the capital plan and would be advanced as soon as profiling was complete.
In the programme for Government, there was considerable hope given to those of us who were speaking about the development and upgrading of the national primary routes. I refer to the national primary routes, the N4, which the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy Scanlon, myself and others have spoken about, and the N5. Both of those are in a deplorable state and they need to be upgraded. Those are two vital organs, east to west. As the Taoiseach probably will be aware, many of the businesses in the west are complaining about the state of the N5. We heard a lot of talk in recent days about the Dublin metro plan being brought forward, which is a €2.5 billion plan. We have to keep developing the infrastructure in Dublin, but I want to know from the Taoiseach today - he spoke in the leadership battle about developing these networks and getting them upgraded - if the N5 and the N4 are included in the capital plan.
Comment on this
The upgrading of the N4 and the N5 are included in the capital plan. We are very keen as a Government to see both roads upgraded as soon as possible because access to Sligo and Mayo in particular, and to Roscommon, is essential. It is one of the few parts of the country that is still quite remote from the motorway network. It is intended to bring these projects forward but I am not in a position to give the Deputy a timeline today. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, will do that as soon as they have the profiling done.