Speech By Martin Cullen, T.D., Minister for Transport at the Opening of the M8,Rathcormac to Fermoy Bypass.

Date: 29 September 2006

County Manager, Mayor of Fermoy, Reverend Fathers, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

I am delighted to be back in this county again to mark the opening of the M8 Rathcormac to Fermoy Bypass. In July, I was present at the opening of the N8 Mitchelstown Relief Road. Today in Fermoy we celebrate the opening of a major, high-quality road infrastructure project, comprising about 18 kilometres of motorway and incorporating a viaduct over the Blackwater Valley which is itself almost half a kilometre long. This new road will make a major difference to everyone who uses the Dublin to Cork Route and will change the transport experience in a positive way for thousands of people.

This is the third of the new wave of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to be completed. What this means effectively, is private investment in our roads which can and does, in my view, maximise efficiency. It follows the opening of the M4 Kilcock/Kinnegad Motorway Scheme and the Dundalk Western Bypass Scheme in 2005.

The bypass is also another important step in the upgrading of the major inter-urban road corridors under the Department of Transport's own Transport 21 programme. I am very pleased to say that the Bypass has been delivered a full eight months ahead of schedule. This is part of an increasing trend for the delivery of major infrastructure projects on or ahead of time and within budget.

Over the past ten years, the Government has delivered significant infrastructural enhancement, both in roads and public transport, which will maintain and strengthen the economic basis of the country. All due credit must go to the NRA, Cork County Council and Direct Route (Fermoy) Ltd. for making this happen.

The N8, on which this project is located, is an important route connecting Cork to Portlaoise and forming part of the strategic link between Cork and Dublin. The Cork to Dublin Route is one of the major inter-urban schemes identified by Government in the National Development Plan for upgrading to motorway or high quality dual carriageway in its entirety.

Construction work on the project I am opening today, started in June 2004 with a completion date originally scheduled for next year, in June 2007. With construction now completed ahead of schedule, the Rathcormac/Fermoy Bypass will provide a high quality motorway connecting the communities of Watergrasshill and Moorepark to the north of Fermoy.

Benefits of the Rathcormac to Fermoy Bypass

The opening of this new bypass will be of great benefit not just to everyone travelling the Dublin to Cork Route but to the people and businesses in the area from Rathcormac to Fermoy and surrounding areas. The significant reduction of through traffic in both towns will also have a major beneficial impact on the quality of life of a large number of people, who will be able to go about their daily business in a more efficient way. Improved access will encourage industrial, tourist and commercial activity in the locality, and the improvement of journey times between Cork and Dublin will have major positive implications for the overall prosperity of the country. By improving competitiveness through reduced journey times and greater journey time certainty, roads such as this, facilitate growth, job creation and a more balanced regional development.

The Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme

The opening of this scheme more than eight months ahead of schedule highlights the value of PPPs in the efficient delivery of much needed road infrastructure.

Overall the NRA estimates that private investment committed to national road PPP projects amounts to approximately €1bn to date and that it will amount to approximately €2bn over the period to 2010. This is a significant addition to Exchequer funding and will enable projects to be advanced quicker than otherwise might be the case. Better value for money can be achieved for certain projects through private sector expertise and flexibility. The Government is committed to implementing ambitious projects with greater effectiveness and with an emphasis on speedy delivery.

National Roads Programme

The Rathcormac / Fermoy Bypass is further evidence of the good progress being made in the implementation of the integrated and comprehensive plan for the upgrade of the national road network as provided for in the National Development Plan.

The ambitious objective set out in the NDP of upgrading the major inter-urban routes to motorway or high quality dual carriageway standard is being achieved. In targeting the main inter-urban routes and, particularly, traffic bottlenecks on these routes, the national roads programme is supporting the implementation of the National Spatial Strategy. Improved road infrastructure is an important part of the package of policies and measures necessary to secure the more balanced regional development targeted by the NSS.

Work on the upgrading of the major inter-urban routes is complete or underway on nearly 50% of these routes. The balance is well advanced in planning. The removal of bottlenecks at, for example, the towns of Kildare, Monasterevin, Cashel, Limerick, Nenagh, Drogheda, Dundalk, and from today, now at Fermoy, means that the national roads programme is delivering substantial journey time savings to road users. This can only be a good thing.

Fixed Price Contracts

The cost of national road projects has been the subject of regular comment in recent times. It is fair to say that in some cases there were difficulties. The Government and its agencies, recognising this, have moved progressively since 2002 to the greater use of the Design and Build form of contract which ensures greater certainty of outturn costs.

Transport 21

Before concluding I would like to refer again briefly to Transport 21, which was launched last year. Transport 21 is the Government's plan of work to deliver benefits in transport to every part of the country. It is also about delivering environmental, safety and economic benefits on a national scale. Over the next 10 years, we will spend through Transport 21, an average of over €9.4 million per day on our transport infrastructure. Building on the good work done in upgrading our transport infrastructure in recent years, Transport 21 represents a strengthening of the Government's commitment to ensuring that Ireland has a transport network to match and support its buoyant economy. The objective of Transport 21 is nothing less than a transformation of Ireland's transport network. This is necessary, and the huge levels of investment involved are justified, having regard to the critical importance of a good, well functioning transport infrastructure for the economic and social life of the country and our quality of life generally.

Safety on our Roads

As we made huge strides with the various road projects, safety on our roads must remain paramount. Again, this weekend, a number of people lost their lives on our roads. Many families and friends are grieving today for their loved ones who were killed in those tragic road accidents. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the gardai in enforcing the law and the changing mindset of many drivers. It is up to each one of us to ensure that we act responsibly and obey the law not just for a day, a week, or a month but every day, every week, every month. By doing this, we are making our roads safer.

Conclusion

I would like to conclude by acknowledging once again the contribution of all involved on the Rathcormac to Fermoy Bypass - the NRA, local authorities, consultants, Direct Route Ltd., and very importantly, the local community of this area who have co-operated in the development of this project. I wish Direct Route well in the operation and maintenance of this key piece of transport infrastructure.

Thank You. (ENDS)