Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
253. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport the purpose of the €2 million allocation towards the Athenry relief road project in the recent road allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15830/26]
View answerThe 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. Works on these roads are funded from Councils’ own resources and supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.
It is important to highlight that any new road projects that seek State funding are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects proposed by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and the Department's Transport Appraisal Framework. Given the limited funding available for regional and local road improvement works it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.
To date, two of the four sections of the Athenry Relief Road have been constructed. Funding was provided in 2025 to facilitate the construction of the third section which will connect the previous two sections already constructed.
The contract was awarded in 2025 for the third section following the conclusion of the tender process, and the construction programme is underway. The implementation of this project is the responsibility of Galway County Council.
On 17th February, I announced the 2026 allocations in which Galway County Council received an allocation of €2 million for the Athenry Relief Road to continue construction of the third section.
The Department has provided funding to Galway County Council to undertake surveys to allow the development of the preliminary design including aspects of the bridge works required to facilitate the final section of the relief road. This work has been progressed in conjunction with Irish Rail.
The current proposal indicates that the existing bridge over the final road section may have to be raised and there may be additional impacts on another bridge. The cost implications on the final section of the Athenry Relief Road and any possible impact on the business case for the scheme are being assessed.
