Fianna Fáil is pushing for more money to be allocated to road improvements amid a Coalition row over a funding shortfall in advance of the budget.
A shortfall of up to €40 million has emerged in recent weeks for a range of smaller roads projects, with Fianna Fáil TDs blaming Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan for the situation.
A spokeswoman for Mr Ryan said there had been no reduction to the overall capital funding available for national roads in 2024, which was announced at the start of the year, and that no safety improvement schemes would be impacted.
However, Fianna Fáil minister James Lawless, who is a junior minister in the Department of Transport, is said to be pushing for the issue to be addressed as part of negotiations for Budget 2025.
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It is understood that up to €7 million has been identified for an immediate provision to allow some works to proceed but the balance of funding has already been spent.
“Last year’s money is gone,” said a source with knowledge of the matter. “It has to come from next year’s budget.”
Lobbyists for the road paving industry contacted ministers last month highlighting a €38 million shortfall but it is understood the total shortfall is in fact more than €40 million, with almost €18 million related to schemes that have already had tenders received but have now been paused. The balance relates to schemes that have stalled before tenders have been issued.
While some money has been found to be spent this year there is still a considerable gap remaining.
A source close to Mr Lawless said that he was “shocked to see the situation in the Department” and added that he would be seeking multiannual funding allocations for the future. “It’s essential that these roads are done for Government cohesion, they were signed off last year and now they’re reneging on them.”
Fianna Fáil backbenchers are impatient for the issue to be addressed – even in advance of the budget. Cork East TD James O’Connor said the Government should find money for the projects from the current year’s allocation. In a letter sent earlier this month to his colleagues in the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, he said the shortfall was “widespread and impacts too many projects to individually identify”.
“I suggest we meet with Minister Paschal Donohoe in an effort to advocate for the necessary capital funding without allowing it to be postponed until the budget.”
Mr O’Connor told The Irish Times: “This is of huge concern for backbenchers.
“The Minister for Transport needs to sit down with DPER and get the money that they’ve already agreed in the capital plan this year. It’s no secret he’s not been a fan of roads projects.”
Responding to the complaints, Mr Ryan’s spokeswoman said there had been funding pressures on a number of new road projects arising from faster deliver and land acquisition costs, as well as inflation and increased cost of materials.
“The NDP ceilings were set and funded over the lifetime of this government, as was the agreement to allocate funding 2:1 to public transport, to begin to make up for decades of neglect and underfunding by previous governments. The overall road allocation for this year has not changed in any way.”
The Greens are arguing that if a pause to renewal works hadn’t happened, works on critical new projects would have stalled instead.
“The question for Fianna Fáil TDs then is which of these new roads projects do they want to see stalled? Or if they want to see roads funding increased, which public transport projects like BusConnects, or the new, popular town buses, or additional train services do they want to cancel?” the spokeswoman added.
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