I welcome our guests in the Public Gallery from Cushenstown Women's Shed.

The N81 national road runs from Tallaght in south Dublin through west Wicklow and onward to Carlow. It functions as the principal transport artery for west Wicklow and parts of counties Kildare and Carlow. I will make two major points. The N81 is one of the most dangerous roads in the country, as proven by several studies. Second, the N81 is the only national road out of Dublin that has never been upgraded. It carries major traffic volumes. A preferred route option was chosen but shelved in 2018. This needs to be put into the national development plan, NDP. I ask that it be considered for inclusion in the new NDP.

I thank the Deputy. A number of road safety interventions have been made and are being made to the N81. Funding of €400,000 has been provided for realignment of the section near Stratford-on-Slaney and technical advisers have also been appointed to develop this scheme through a planning application. Funding has also been allocated to provide for traffic calming measures on the N81 adjacent to Hollywood village as well as for smaller safety interventions at Blessington and Baltinglass. When it comes to the national development plan and the prioritisation of roads projects on which the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will engage, we are clear that we want to see many of the roads projects in the NDP, which are important across our country, advance. The Minister will have to revert to the Deputy directly regarding the N81. However, it is important that we continue to support the measures being taken around the existing road and the road safety interventions which will make a difference.