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THE DAWNING OF a “new era” is how the Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae dubbed the allocation of €713 million in road grants today.
With the Greens out of the picture, the government has moved to boost funding by 8% on road and safety improvements, with the largest allocation of €82.8 million going to County Cork, followed by €43.6 million going to Galway.
The Healy Rae brothers highlighted today that their home county of Kerry will get €33 million in roads grants.
The new junior minister said the increase in the national budget for roads in such a short time of this new government represents a sign of intent going forward.
“The people want tar and that is what we will give them,” he said in a statement today.
During the election campaign, senior sources in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael signalled that it wanted to ramp up roads investment which they felt was being stalled by the Green Party.
It followed through into the new programme for government which commits to “invest in all road projects in the current National Development Plan and consider additional important road projects as part of the NDP review”, which will include increased fundings for new roads.
Of the €713 million announced today, €330 million will be spent on road pavement strengthening works; €84m for maintenance and strengthening works for which local authorities have discretion in the selection of roads; and €70m for specific and strategic regional and local roads projects.
Announcing the bumper roads investment package, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said there has been a significant increase in funding for the year ahead, with most of the funding going towards restoration of the network.
“This is essential for maintaining social and economic connectivity, linking people and places across the country.”
“In addition to maintaining our current road network, we are developing and upgrading this infrastructure through investing €70 million in vital strategic projects which are continuing to be progressed,” he said.
The minister pointed out projects that will benefit from the funding include Shannon Crossing and Killaloe Bypass project in Killaloe and Ballina, and the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road in Limerick City.
Funded projects in 2025 also include rehabilitation of Ballycorkey Bridge in County Westmeath and R595 Old Court, Skibbereen to Baltimore realignment in County Cork.
Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, Seán Canney, said the funding will enhance road safety, with funding being allocated for over 330 safety projects this year, an increase of 20% from last year.
He added that €16.5 million is being designation to 315 projects focused on climate change adaptation to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of our roads.
Minister of State with responsibility for Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer said it is important the government’s continues to invest in the rural road network.
Former Environment Minister Eamon Ryan raised concerns after leaving office that s Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil-led government would not continue the 2:1 transport spending ratio that was implemented by the last coalition, which committed to investing double the amount of money into public transport than investments into roads.
Ryan said that failing to continue that strategy would mean Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil aren’t serious about developing public transport or taking climate action.
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Where’s the cork Limerick motorway?
Announced in 1998 and still waiting
@Michael O’Leary: yes, preferably boiling tar over over the heads of those
@Michael O’Leary: i think it’s needed as much as a ring road for Galway or some type of bypass !
@Galway Carpenter: Probably the highest priority in the country…
Cork lot Limerick needs to be seriously upgraded possibly to Motorway but least dual carriage while bypass ing all the towns
@Galway Carpenter: absolutely. Now that the Green g****ites are out of the way.
@Michael O’Leary: and how much will go to the healy reas in kerry needs to be clear
@Michael O’Leary: It’s in a plan on a shelf somewhere / at a wild guess they’ll use upcoming economic downturn as basis for not being able to afford to build it. Ditto for abolition of means test for Carers Allowance. No such restrictions on their salaries / multiple expenses + allowances obviously.
@James Brennan: there hire companies will be flat out … nothing to see here
@Michael O’Leary: absolutely by far one of the most important overdue road upgrades needed
Rumour has it that novelty road sign they are holding in the picture cost 150k .
@Andy Mc Laughlin: Only €150.000, someone slipped up!
@Andy Mc Laughlin: hats off to the minister for cost effectiveness there to be fair he deserves that fair play to him good going.
The “people” are in dire need of housing, affordable enegry and accessable health services—not that anyone in the accompanying photograph would a have a clue about..
With that shyster Darragh O’Brien in charge, don’t hold your breath!
Fffg’s cronies are rubbing their hands with glee.
The people want more public transport
@Áine F: Yup, we want to see evidence for our taxes. Pretty simple.
HOUSING FIRST
@RIP: Why? Transport effects far more people.
People want to get from A to B safely, quickly, conveniently and sustainably. For all its flaws, the Greens at least had a vision and plan to improve these requirements, based on the proven methods used in countries that meet these criteria (e.g Denmark, Sweden). Ireland fails on these criteria and the knuckledraggers that are now in Government want to move backwards to the failed methods of the past. In 20 years we’ll still be asking ourselves where it all went wrong. Well, here is your answer.
@Name: What proven methods to improve ‘roads’ that are merely boreens were used in Denmark on account of road safety, please?
@Name: Denmark, Sweden ALREADY HAVE the road infrastructure necessary to implement more sustainable transport practise, Ireland simply doesn’t have anywhere near the correct amount of infrastructure in this space, there is no solution that doesn’t see roads widened, industry scheduled and an all around proper effort in transport. The problem for you ‘do nothing and it will all grow back’ types is that you have no solutions that work, your argument stops at bikes. Why are you not promoting Copenhagen’s system for delivering goods to its major city? Large delivers are made to specific HGV hubs outside the heavily populated areas and are then delivered in smaller EVs at night!… Have you even heard of that? Now is the 20 year point where we ask the question what did you build in the last 20 years in Transport and the answer is?… nothing, and YOU play a massive part in that too.
@Thesaltyurchin: Believe it or not, but we have many logistics hubs in Ireland also.
@Thomas Sheridan: be cool if we used them properly.
Widen the m4 to 3 lanes to enfield, remove the toll
@Furious George – The Wasp: “Just one more lane bro!”
@Furious George – The Wasp: “Just one more lane, bro!”
@Áine F: That’s two lanes,then!
@Larry Betts: cheers Larry. Yes that would be 2 lanes correct. Alleviate traffic congestion to allow people going further west do the speed limit while the suburban traffic exits up to enfield .
More roads equals more traffic. As sure as night following day.
@Ronan Mc: Nope.
@Thesaltyurchin: Wow, what a retort. You sure showed him!
@Ronan Mc: there was actually a 1% decrease in cars registered in Ireland during 2024 .
@Ronan Mc: that has been proven false time and time again.
@Ronan Mc: Bad planning leads to more traffic. For instance has anyone else noticed an increase of traffic in North Wicklow and South Dublin since the new bus routes came into effect?
@Áine F: thanks
@Ronan Mc: you must be trolling.
more roads means less traffic.
Wider roads means less traffic.
High investment in roads is needed yesterday. There is too many cars and no roads and more and more non maintained roads
Our road network is shattered. We need massive investment to bring it up to value. If we’re committed to zero emissions by 2030, EVs and alternatives ARE the way we will do it. We’re not going to build trains inside the next 20 years, we simply are too difficult a people. Currently we don’t have a commuter infrastructure. We have a threadbare national structure thats supporting mass commuting, and failing, daily.
1. Cork/Limerick Upgrade to Motorway.
2. Upgrading the N25 for Waterford to Cork to a motorway.
3. Outter ring to bypass Galway.
Train lines ripped up in Tipperary and yet you can’t make a half hour train journey from Thurles to Clonmel without transferring at Ballybrophy with extremely limited train times, it’s a farce and not only Tipperary and tyeir soultion is more roads. In the likes of Tipperary you need new roads because there us sweet fa public transport but sure once Diblkn and Cork are sorted the eho cares and people vote back in the same candidates in rural Ireland which can leave you with no sympathy, bar living there.
@Brian D’Arcy: Tipperary has 2 motorways and 1 train line going through it, what more do you want
Politician with construction company delighted with road grant money.
Still waiting on the N4 motorway completion 15 yrs later, but wait until the traffic gets really bad and drivers have to wait 10 mins to merge
M1 needs 3 lanes northbound out as far as Drogheda, most times you can’t even get anywhere near 120 kph on that stretch.
Ah great we can all sit in traffic pumping out toxic fumes until we are blown away by multiple storms.
@Mo Weiss: After 2030 there wont be any I thought? Wont need roads then will we? Just all be sat at home looking out the window. lol.
@Mo Weiss: grow up. If you were around in the 70s and 80s you’d know what toxic fumes were. It’s like night and day.
Ursula absolutely sticking it to Trump live in Munich. Fantastic leader and one everyone can admire.
@Argus Romsworth: she is in her butt . Ursula von der genocide is the worst thing to happen to Europe . She is no leader .. she represents everything wrong with the eu
@BL Music: fantastic states woman and very deserving of her position
@Argus Romsworth: a genocide apologist
@Brendan Fitzsimons: a strong leader facing the watchful authoritarians head on
@Argus Romsworth: What’s that got to do with this Article?
@Alan Kenny: the articles are irrelevant poindexter given the journals censorship on certain articles where comments belong
@Argus Romsworth: you chomp on harris’s knob too! Trump will leave her in the ha’penny place, just like he will mm and slimey harris!! phuckers!
Large numbers are great and all, but I don’t believe that we’ll receive value for that money.
@Chop Chop: This is it eh. They will spend most of that ‘administering’ and it will result in the same slop we’re used to. Few potholes filled.
@Thesaltyurchin: the money can’t be used on admin salaries, that comes from the councils own resources. Now whether there is value for money on the spend is another matter.
@Chop Chop: considering how much they overcharge per 1km this money will be wasted and stolen after 20km of the built road.
Attention: The Macroom bypass is a lovely bit of road. That is all.
Put the roads on stilts, like they do everywhere else in the world. Nice straight roads.
Stop this fancy talk and finish your puddle water
I wonder will Wexford be overlooked again and the dire need for a motorway extension from Oilgate to Rosslare ( talked about for years and apparently in the works ) and general maintenance and upkeep of Regional roads and National roads in the county. Wexford has the largest road network of any county in Ireland but driving these roads you’d swear your Mars with the craters.
Virginia bypass,local roads around Cavan are a disgrace.Bet Fall will be done because the area has a Sinn Fein majority
Those Healy-Rae lads are obsessed with tar.. Their father,Jackie, when canvassing in 2006 remarked to one woman ”Madam, if I’m elected to the Dail, you’ll be up to your arse in tar.”
Months of work on the Nangor Road in Clondalkin, but it still resembles a scale model of the Himalayas .
Horrible individuals
Would be lovely if they could extend the three lanes from the M50 all from sandy ford to bray… Maybe a little further if it’s not too much to ask.
Greenhills Road D12. Slices dug out and now massive pits for cars where the infill has disintegrated. Say goodbye to your CV joints. Most roads require swerving to avoid the ‘pitfalls’
It’s a damn shame that the government keeps blowing taxpayer money on new roads when our national debt keeps growing. This is something that could easily be handled by the private sector at a fraction of the cost. Government built roads cost on average 30% more. They’re inflexible and often poorly planned out, making them hard to alter or improve. Around the world, people are beginning to wake up to the benefits of private roads. In Paris, Indiana, Chile, Vienna, Florida and Japan, some of all of the toll booths and new roads are built and maintained by private companies. Even in California, the home of big government, Highway 91 that goes through Orange County was done by a private company. It’s time the Irish government stepped back and let private companies take over construction here.
@William Jennings: Privatisation of national infrastructure is theft.
I live in rural Ireland. I’m actually driving an extra 10 miles a day to stay off the back roads. Like the surface of the moon. Everything in this country is in dire straits
Could we actually fix the roads with holes and lumps in them there’s less craters in Ukraine. Everything done arseways with no proper planing then have to dig the road countless times end result like driving a buggy on the moon itself although I’d say that surface is somewhat smoother.
Bypass,.bypass my kingdom for a bypass
Cowboys ..
have your say