204. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 988 of 11 June 2019, the progress being made in 2019 in delivering the project which received URDF funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39104/19]

As part of this first tranche of approvals under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, Kildare County Council was allocated URDF support of €400,000 towards its Category B proposal to progress the technical and preparatory element of the Celbridge Southern Relief Road & Second Liffey Crossing.

The advancement and completion of this project is, in the first instance, a matter for Kildare County Council.

Notwithstanding this, I am advised by the Council that they have recently completed the preliminary appraisal stage of the project in accordance with Transport Infrastructure Ireland's Project Management Guidelines 2019. This is the first of eight phases in the overall project. The Council are currently in the process of engaging an Engineering Consultancy to assist with the progression of the scheme through the next four phases of the project.