542. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the body responsible for ensuring compliance with the Transport Appraisal Framework before the Department's first formal decision gate; and the mechanism exists to examine concerns about the evidence used to eliminate reasonable options before the option set is narrowed further. [63093/26]

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. In that capacity, the relevant County Council is responsible for the development, appraisal, design, option selection, and public consultation processes in accordance with current policy and guidance.

Accordingly, matters relating to the development of a transport related project, the appraisal process, the assessment of options, supporting technical studies and the conduct of the public consultation process should, in the first instance, be raised directly with appropriate project team