Road Projects
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-19
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Marian Harkin (IND), Sligo-Leitrim

I will deliver this response on behalf of the Minister for Transport. First, I thank the Senator for his question. I recognise that infrastructure investment to support road safety on the N69, as well as the quality of life of the people who rely on it, is important. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TIl, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP.
It is important to note that a number of major roads projects have been delivered under the current NDP, including the N5 Westport to Turlough and the N22 Baile Bhuirne to Macroom projects. In addition, a major priority in the NDP, in line with the Department's investment hierarchy, is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing national road network. This includes funding for minor improvement works, safety schemes such as junction upgrades, road realignment and pavement renewal, as well as measures to ensure the network can withstand the increased number of severe weather events. Approximately €659 million of Exchequer funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2026. This money will be used for the progression of new national roads projects, as listed in the NDP and the sectoral investment plan for transport. Furthermore, in recognition of the need to improve safety and ensure the major investment in our national road network that has taken place over recent decades is safeguarded, there has been an increased level of funding for protection and renewal works on the existing network in 2026. Of this, over €32 million was allocated to Kerry County Council. This represents an increase of almost €20 million when compared to 2025. To me, that allocation seems quite significant.
This year’s allocations include funding for a wide range of projects. This includes an allocation for road safety measures on the N69 at Tarbert, along with road improvements on the N70 Ring of Kerry road and the N86 between Dingle and Tralee. Funding has also been provided for pavement renewal works in the county. The roads network is surveyed annually for surface quality and structural strength to inform the allocations provided, and this is also the case for County Kerry. In addition, funding has been allocated for the construction of the N22 Killarney to Farranfore project. This project will improve connectivity between Cork and Kerry, thereby ensuring enhanced regional accessibility; will facilitate efficient access to international markets via Farranfore Airport; and will strengthen tourism in the area. There has been significant investment in the N69 in recent years.
Over €67 million in allocations has been invested in pavement, safety and the bypass of Listowel on the N69 since 2021. TII will continue to work closely with the Department of Transport and Kerry County Council to identify critical areas for intervention on the N69 as well as other national routes in Kerry.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-19