The Irish Government has announced € 1.5 billion in funding for road improvements across the country, a figure the Department of Transport claims represents a 13 per cent increase over previous funding.
What's this money going to buy us?
There are some major headline projects toward which this money will be going, including the construction of major new routes such as the Adare Bypass, N5 Ballaghaderreen-Scramoge, and M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy motorway.
The headline figure is made up of a combination of funds which is made up of an almost €800 million allocation for national roads includes €659 million in exchequer capital funding through Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) along with €104 million for national roads under Public Private Partnerships, and. approximately €33 million for regular maintenance of national roads, provided to local authorities.
Is this all about building new roads?
No, the funds will be spent on a variety of works, which will include some new and significantly upgraded stretches, but which also encompass the likes of road safety improvements, pavement and bridge renewal, and climate-resilience measures.
How much physical road are we actually talking about?
Well, out of the €718 million allocation for regional and local roads, that money will allow approximately 2,800kms of roads to be maintained and 2,330kms to be improved. The funding includes €50 million for strategic road improvement projects, including projects identified for development under the National Development Plan; €20 million in Specific Grants for smaller-scale road improvements, including bridgeworks, safety measures such as junction reconfiguration, and schemes to alleviate traffic congestion in towns. Funded projects in 2026 include the safety scheme on the R332 Kilbannon, Co. Galway; the rehabilitation of Archdeacon Duggan Bridge in Co. Cork; and the Kilkelly Relief Road in Co. Mayo. According to the Department of Transport, a total of 99 projects in this category will be funded in 2026 along with €16.5 million for 294 projects under the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Programme including better drainage and flood defences, while there's also €14 million for 280 low-cost road safety projects, targeting remedial measures to improve road safety for vulnerable road users as well as cars and trucks.
Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien said: "Advancing the new national road projects in the current National Development Plan and the Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport is a priority for this government, along with the protection and renewal of the existing national, regional and local road network. Government is committed to assisting affected local authorities with financial support to assist with the aftermath of Storm Chandra. My Department is liaising with affected counties, who are continuing to compile and assess damage on the ground to enable proper estimation of the total damage caused and the estimated cost of remediation. The allocations I'm announcing today will enable multiple major new road projects on the national road network to progress, including those that are at or are close to construction. This will enable greater connectivity across our country, support economic development, and deliver safer roads and less congested towns and communities.
"Projects such as the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge, the M28 and the Adare Bypass, which are currently in construction, demonstrate the clear commitment to the ongoing development of our national road network. Taken together with the new road projects which are at an earlier stage of the project lifecycle, an increased number of new national roads projects have been allocated funding this year. A new two-year work programme under the Community Involvement Scheme for regional and local roads is starting this year with €16.2 million being allocated to the scheme in 2026. This is an increase of €1.4 million in funding from last year, upholding the Programme for Government commitment to increase funding for the Community Involvement Scheme.”