I wish to raise the issue of the relief road for Mountmellick, which is long promised. It has been promised for years. Traffic volumes have increased. More than 8,500 vehicles go through the centre of the town every day. A lot of that traffic is HGVs going from the west of Ireland and the midlands to the port of Rosslare. A feasibility study has been carried out at a cost of more than €100,000 and a preferred route has been selected. This road would shorten journey times, reduce carbon emissions and reduce congestion in the town. The Tánaiste, who is not here, and Deputy Aird promised this during the election campaign. I hoped they would be here, but it was promised that this would be moved forward. According to TII, this road is not included among the projects identified for development during the period of the current NDP. That is what I got in reply to a parliamentary question. What is the position regarding this? Will the Minister speak with the Minister responsible to try to have it included in the new review of the NDP?

This Government is committed to making sure we invest in our roads. That does not just mean maintenance and expansion but also making sure the roads that are committed to on our list are continued, progressed and finalised. In addition, with the review of the NDP, there is potential for new projects to be part of that expansion and list. I am not familiar with the stages and timelines for the road the Deputy mentioned but I will certainly raise the matter with the relevant Minister.