A midsummer night's review of the National Development Plan (2025)

marno21

During the news on the new Government formation, it has been repeatedly stated that the review of the National Development Plan will be complete by July of this year. This will see some changes for a few reasons:

1. The inclusion of projects that wish to be prioritised by the regional independent members of Government
2. Removing the requirement to rearrange the NDP around the Green Party deputies' wishes
3. Reflecting on the 11 completed projects of the 42 included in the last NDP
4. Potentially requiring further expectation management around delivery timelines due to planning delays and construction inflation

The 2018 NDP included 23 projects to be advanced to construction during 2018-2027, and 22 projects to be advanced through planning and design, with leftover funds from the 23 former projects to be used to advance some of the latter 22. I refer to the 2018 NDP as the 2021 NDP is effectively the 2018 NDP with watered down language re: the commitments made to progress the schemes as somebody started throwing their toys out of the pram when the roads discussion was taking place.

Of the 23 projects included in the construction programme of the 2018-27 NDP

• 11 are complete (N4 Collooney-C'baldwin, N5 Westport-Turlough, M7 widening, Dunkettle, N11 Kilmacanogue, M11 Enniscorthy, N22 Macroom, N25 New Ross, N56 M'charles-Inver, N59 Moycullen, N69 Listowel)
• 1 is under construction (N5 Ballaghaderreen-Scramoge)
• 2 are part under construction, pending main works contract (M21 Adare-Foynes, M28)
• 2 are subject to judicidal review having received planning permission (M6 Galway Ring, N52 Ardee)
• 1 is pending approval by An Bord Pleanála (N2 Slane)
• 2 are in the planning and design phase (M20, N72 Mallow)

4 are Low Volume National Secondary schemes:

• N56 Dungloe-Glenties (23km complete, 3km under construction)
• N59 Westport-Mulranny (10km complete, 5km to commence 2025, 9km in queue)
• N59 Oughterard-Maam Cross (5km complete, 10km pending NPWS approval)
• N86 Camp-Dingle (8km complete, 6km awaiting commencement, 20km pending)

Overall, 11 complete, 7 at least partially under construction, and 5 in the courts/ABP/planning system is a good result. The main disappointment has been planning delays and the lack of progress on the LVNS schemes since 2020.

Of the 22 projects to be advanced through planning and design in the 2018-27 NDP, 3 have received Cabinet approval to submit to ABP, but remain pending submission. One of the 23 of these appears to now be completely under the aegis of Dublin Port, and the remaining 18 are either close to planning submission, going through the planning phases, have been mangled by the Minister or have been outright defunded and are frozen/de facto scrapped. Interestingly, one of the projects that the previous Minister sought to put a roadblock on has been advanced since the start of the year with the 51.1km Type 2 Mullingar-Longford route published.

In summary:

• Of the 42 projects (minus the Dublin Port access route), 28 have not received full planning permission (of the other 14, 11 complete, 1 under construction, 2 partially under construction).
• Of the 23 committed to construction between 2018-27, 11 are complete, 1 is under construction, 2 have planning and are underway on a phased basis, 2 are subject to judicial review, 1 is with ABP, 2 are at design and 4 are being delivered on a phased basis (low volume national secondaries)
• Of the 21 committed to work through the planning phase between 2018-27 with funding being allocated to advance some beyond this on a priority basis subjected to available funding, 3 are Cabinet approved pending ABP submission and 18 are in the design & planning phase.

A timely reminder that in 2021, TII sought the following to be considered for inclusion in the NDP:

• All 43 of the projects as outlined above
• A further 10 projects of regional importance
• Six radial bus priority projects in the Greater Dublin Area
• Four programmes of works on national secondary roads.

Details on these were never made public

Your thoughts on what could/should/will be included in the review of the NDP are more than welcome.

marno21

Confirmed by Minister

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/1352a-ministers-chambers-announces-a-review-of-the-national-development-plan/

marno21

This topic makes the front of today's Sunday Times

Headline is Huge funds to get roadbuilding on track

The article is light on detail but it suggests that post NDP review, important roads projects will be "accelerated" and that stalled road projects would fast tracked as the roads budget would be given "certainty and stability". Then quotes from Minister Michael Healy-Rae about how the people want good roads.

Looking forward to the specifics on this in the NDP review in July

riddlinrussell

"The road schemes that have been progressing through our glacially slow planning system are nearly ready, so now we get to look like serious road builders lads!"

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123589725#Comment_123589725

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123588794#Comment_123588794

Money doesn't appear to be the issue though, it's the red tape, the courts and the planning system.

Once a road goes to tender and clearing works start and we get diggers on the ground, that is the home stretch really, as 10 years or more will have passed before they get to that stage.

marno21

https://twitter.com/micheallehane/status/1945902384326058298

Interesting to see if anything gets prioritised out of this. The N22 Killarney-Farranfore, N17, N55, Galway Ring Road, Claregalway relief road have to be contenders

Bmomoran

N26 in Mayo will make list I reckon

NedNew2

While waiting for Tuesdays upcoming news, here is a gem from 1980. Some might recognise the locations.

Massive potholes in Irish roads 1980

https://youtu.be/-InE7lWc3wE?si=Vd4vOaZx0pVR_azX

marno21

Great to see talk of accelerated planning for key national projects and also how they are examining how other countries around the Anglosphere are delivering such measures

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/07/22/government-to-prioritise-infrastructure-delivery-as-it-unveils-200bn-national-development-plan/

As you can infer from my first post on this thread, these measures are badly needed

somenergy

More its because its green leftwing no dabate nonsense

riddlinrussell

Ah yes, the greens and left, who have checks zero politicians in this government and 1 Green TD in the entire Dáil, sure Rod is practically a shadow government to himself!

marno21

No more Green talk please. They have no involvement in this

marno21

24bn for transport, with 2bn of that allocated to Metrolink

I’d be very interested to see how much of that is planned for roads given the figure for 2021-2025 for roads capital investment iirc was less than 1bn

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123658158#Comment_123658158

This is needed. No use having money, if the red tape means it takes years to get things done. But I think we are limited to what we can do due to the legal profession and our signing up to the Aarhus Convention. Its just incredibly difficult get things off the line.

timmyntc

Its not because of Aarhus but due to common law.

Civil law jurisdictions do not have trouble with Aarhus. Non Aarhus jurisdictions with common law still have trouble with court cases derailing projects.

US, UK, NZ, AUS all struggle mightily to get housing, infrastructure etc over the line due to so many legal actions. Common law system serves the legal profession more than it does the society it is supposed to deliver justice to.

marno21

Confirmed in the briefing documents that the allocation for 2026-2030 will be 24.33bn for transport, of which 2bn is for Metrolink from the Infrastructure & Climate Fund.

It's unclear yet what breakdown there will be between public transport/roads and other sectors of transport.

Regardless, unless there is a massive overhaul in the planning system it's hard to see if there will be any shortfall of funding required for delivering the roads programme, simply due to the lack of sufficiently advanced schemes to allocate funding to.

There is 3 schemes currently under construction that won't be complete before the start of 2026:

N5 Ballaghadereen-Scramoge

M21 Adare bypass

M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy.

Two schemes with planning:

Slane bypass

M21 Adare-Foynes

Two schemes in the courts:

M6 Galway Ring Road

N52 Ardee bypass

In addition, these could hit the planning process in the next year:

The three Donegal TEN-T projects (Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass, Letterkenny-Lifford and the DC upgrade/relief road at Letterkenny)

M20 Cork-Limerick

N3 Virginia bypass

N4 Carrick on Shannon bypass

N21 Newcastlewest bypass

N21 Abbeyfeale bypass

N24 Cahir-Limerick Junction

N72 Mallow relief road

Even if the Galway and Ardee bypasses make it out of the courts, and all the above schemes hit ABP and commence construction before 2030, it's hard to see how they couldn't all be funded. Especially given the to be finalised M20 phasing/tolling situation.

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123658649#Comment_123658649

I see your point, but I also heard that for example, in Holland, they struggle to get planning over the line for housing. They are a civil law jurisdiction.
Australia would not have the same issue in getting planning as we do, yet they are a common law jurisdiction.

Limerick74

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123659406#Comment_123659406

What M20 PPP rumours?

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123659830#Comment_123659830

Last post before I went to bed so was an error, I meant to refer to the phasing/tolling talks which may affect the overall funding profile of the scheme.

marno21

This is the latest version of how TII has laid out the roads programme pipeline. It's been degreened and the restrictions around which stretches of road are pure enough to proceed have been dropped.

Projects at construction

N5 Ballaghaderreen-Scramoge [completion October 2027]
M21 Adare bypass [completion June 2027]
M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy [completion April 2028]

Projects proceeding to construction

M21 Limerick-Foynes [balance to be complete over 3 phases; possible completion 2031]

Projects in planning process

N52 Ardee bypass [judicial review, could start in 2026]
N2 Slane bypass [potential 2027 start; complete 2031] * project since approved by ABP
N13/N14/N15 Donegal TEN-T [planning submission Sept 2025; potential 2028 start]
M6 Galway Ring Road [judicial review, could start in 2028]

Projects proceeding to planning stage in late 2025/2026

N3 Virginia bypass
N4 Carrick on Shannon bypasss
N21 Abbeyfeale bypass
N21 Newcastlewest bypass
N72 Mallow relief road
N11 bus priority scheme

Projects proceeding to planning stage in late 2026/2027

N2 Clontibret-Border
N4 Mullingar-Longford
N11 Oilgate-Rosslare
N20 Cork-Limerick
N24 Cahir-Limerick Junction
N4 Maynooth-Leixlip minor improvements

Planning pipeline 2028-2030

N2 Ardee-South of Castleblayney
N2 Rath Roundabout-Kilmoon Cross
N3 Clonee-M50
N11 J4-J14
N17 Knock-Collooney
N22 Farranfore-Killarney
N24 Waterford-Cahir
N25 Glenmore-Waterford
N25 Carrigtwohill-Midleton
N25 Midleton-Youghal
N52 Tullamore-Kilbeggan
N59 Maam Cross-Clifden

Projects in bold in the 2028-2030 list were funded for 2025 and have made meaningful progress in this calendar year. The rest of them have been moribund since c. 2022/23 with the exception of the N59 project which has to start from scratch. The last update on the N59 was that it was being held until the Oughterard-Maam Cross project was complete, which itself has been tangled in environmental shenanigans with several years now.

TII wanted to add more projects to this list in 2021 so it can be assumed they will want to do the same now with the list somewhat shorter, and development timelines getting longer. Since the 2021 NDP, the N5 in Mayo, N22 in Cork, Dunkettle have all opened to traffic, along with the bypasses of Moycullen and Listowel.

Which additional projects will make the new NDP list come October?

scrabtom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123684991#Comment_123684991

Two stretches of road that I have been on recently that seem like they need an upgrade but aren't on the current list are the N17 directly North of Tuam and the N24 North of Limerick Junction. Do you think there's any chance either of these two will be included?

KrisW1001

Safety, not capacity, seems to be the biggest factor in prioritising schemes, and overall these two are not more urgent than other projects in the network.

N17 Tuam–Knock really only needs attention around the two villages. The rest is a good road. Some more junction fixes could help a lot with safety.

N24 is not quite as good, but most of it is still acceptable. The only bit that comes to mind as a problem is the few km of narrow single carriageway west of Ballyvoeen, but even that isn’t particularly busy. I guess the longer term plan would be a new 2+2 here, as mixture of offline and online build.

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123685363#Comment_123685363

I thought plans were advanced to take out bends on the N17 between Tuam and Ballindine? Or was that shelved.

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123685624#Comment_123685624

No, it’s not shelved. That’s the N17 Milltown to Gortnagunnad Realignment scheme. It has planning and it got €900,000 in the last allocation. It replaces the 3 km of narrow road north of Milltown with a new Type 1 Single carriageway (Click that link, scroll down and there’s a link to the drawings).

With this and the Knock-Collooney scheme, N17 is in pretty good shape, barring some junction safety works, which are a lot easier to do.

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123686026#Comment_123686026

Good to know its still in progress.

It will take a lot of high quality design to provide safe junctions. Some bridges will definitely be needed.

Thunder87

N13/N14/N15 Donegal TEN-T [planning submission Sept 2025; potential 2028 start]

I feel like I've been reading of an immediately impending planning application for these projects for nearly a decade at this point.. has there been any querying or scrutiny from anyone on Donegal CC's complete ineptitude here?