Speech by Mr. Martin Cullen T.D., Minister for Transport at the Sod-turning of the N25 Kinsalebeg Realignment

Date: 07 November 2005

Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here to day to turn the sod on the N25 Kinsalebeg road project, marking a further step in the transformation of our national road infrastructure. Improvements to our road infrastructure have many benefits. Industry benefits in terms of reduced journey times and greater journey time certainty. Equally, people benefit. We are making our roads safer, connecting our regions and making them become better places to live in, to work in and to visit.

This Fianna Fail led Government will continue to implement our major national road improvement plan, to ensure that we have an infrastructure capable of:

supporting continuing economic and social development that is environmentally sustainable;
ensuring balanced regional development; and
providing a high quality living and working environment for our people.

Project
This project on the N25 which is also known as the Euroroute E30 linking Rosslare Harbour to Cork, involves the construction of 2.6km of standard single carriageway with associated junctions and access roads. Its upgrading forms part of our strategic national roads policy of improving the primary and secondary road networks as provided for in the NDP.

Coupled with the major upgrade projects which have been completed on the N25 in recent years, this realignment will help to improve greatly the access from the ports of Rosslare, Waterford and New Ross along the Atlantic Corridor to Cork, Limerick, Galway up to Donegal. The recent increases in trade coming through these ports as well as the growing tourism business in the South and the Southeast generally will have a very positive impact that will be shared and enjoyed socially, economically and environmentally throughout the entire region.

The project represents a further step in the phased upgrading of the N25 which has seen the completion of major projects including the Kilmacthomas and Youghal Bypasses, Dunkettle/ Carrigtwohill, and the Cork Southern Ring Road which includes the River Lee Tunnel. The Waterford City Bypass is well advanced in planning and the Rosslare Harbour Access Route Selection report is complete. All of these developments contribute to the provision of a consistent standard of national road and help to reduce journey times on this route.

National Roads Programme
Transport 21 builds on the excellent progress we have made. We took the critical strategic decision to link Dublin and all our main cities with motorways and we have made major progress on achieving that objective. Of course, challenges remain. Our population is growing; as we become more prosperous, the number of two car households is increasing; and lifestyles are changing. These and many other factors do impact on transport infrastructure. But these are the challenges presented by a successful economy. Transport 21 is a recognition of the changing Ireland.

In recent years, we have put in place the first sustained programme to develop the transport infrastructure of modern Ireland. In Transport 21, we are proposing to accelerate this process further in order to deliver a transport infrastructure which supports economic activity across the nation and which enhances the quality of life of every citizen. Transport 21 is a plan which seizes the historic opportunity to complete the transformation of our country. It is designed to build a 21st Century infrastructure for a 21st Century country. And critically, it will connect communities and promote prosperity for generations to come.

The position in relation to the national roads programme overall is that huge progress is being made in upgrading the network throughout the country. Since 2000, 54 schemes have been completed to date, including major projects on the M1 from Dublin to Dundalk, N4 Sligo Inner Relief Road, N11 Glen of the Downs, M50 South Eastern Motorway. Work is underway on others such as Ennis, Loughrea, and Ballyshannon/Bundoran Bypasses.

The elimination of bottlenecks that towns such as Kildare, Monasterevin and Cashel had been noted for previously, will allow road users to plan journeys with greater certainty. A total of 376kms including 218kms to motorway/ dualcarriageway standard have been completed and construction is underway on another 21 projects - a total of 229kms with 168kms to motorway/ dualcarriageway standard. We are now beginning to reap the benefits of the greatly increased levels of investment in the national roads programme.

Conclusion
The contribution of all involved - the National Roads Authority, local authorities, consultants, the construction industry - to the progress that has been made to date is acknowledged. The ongoing co-operation and commitment of all in seeking better and more efficient and effective ways of doing things will be equally important going forward.

In conclusion, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all involved with this project including:

- Waterford County Council

- the National Roads Authority

- the land owners and others who have cooperated in getting the project to this stage

- Noel Regan & Sons who have been successful in securing the contract and wish them and their workforce well in their efforts to complete the project on time and within budget

- Everyone who had a role - big or small - in getting the project to this stage.

- I wish every success to those now charged with delivering this project.

Thank you.