Tipperary town bypass funding
Deputy Mattie McGrath sought a commitment and funding for the Tipperary town bypass, arguing that good will is not enough. The Minister said transport capital has a large budget within the NDP and confirmed the bypass remains known to him and the Minister for Transport.
The issue of the Tipperary town bypass has been raised. Some of us have received very good responses from the Minister, Deputy Ryan. He visited and met Jobs for Tipp, March for Tipp and the chamber of commerce, who are actively seeking a bypass of the town. The Minister tells us the mood music is good and the Ceann Comhairle commented on it, but we need the money - the airgead. Cad a dheánfaimid feasta gan airgead? We have to have the money. The Minister is in a position to give an indication. It is not clearly stated in the planned public expenditure outlay. We need this upgrade urgently and the money allocated to get the costings and bypass the town. I hope it will be on the route of the new M24. We need the money. The Minister has visited Tipperary as did the Minister, Deputy Ryan. We know the problems. The commitment is there from the Minister, Deputy Ryan, but we need the funding to ensure the people of Tipperary can live a normal life.
Comment on this
I have given the chequebook for transport to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and it is a large chequebook because he has a budget of €35 billion out to 2030 for transport-related capital projects. The national development plan is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every project that will happen in the coming decade. It is a high-level budgetary framework for our public capital investment plans over the next period of time.
I am aware of the calls and the need for a bypass of Tipperary town. Deputy McGrath has made the point and Deputy Cahill has raised it with me consistently. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, is especially anxious to see the development of bypasses over the coming years. I would like to see the plan developed. If it is brought forward, it will then be a question of providing the funding. There is a very large envelope which will be divided between maintenance of the existing network, approximately €3.6 billion for active travel measures, and new investment in public transport and in road infrastructure. It is about getting the project ready to the point it can absorb capital.