Spend on new public transport vs road projects still above 2:1, minister says

The Government will spend more than double on public transport than road projects in its term, the Transport Minister has said.

Darragh O’Brien said a 2:1 ratio on public transport versus new road projects is still being maintained, even though it is not explicitly mentioned in the latest review of the National Development Plan (NDP).

The ratio had been a feature of the Programme for Government of the previous coalition involving the Green Party – but the rule is not referenced in the NDP.

The NDP’s sectoral investment plan for transport, which was published in November, outlines 10.1 billion euros in funding allocations for public transport between 2026-2030, excluding two billion euros in the Infrastructure, Nature and Climate Fund – while 9.7 billion was allocated for road networks and road safety.

As these overall metrics approach a 1:1 ratio, the Green Party said the old rule had been scrapped and that the Government’s public transport investment was approaching “near parity” with spending on roads.

However, Mr O’Brien said the 2:1 ratio is exceeded when the old coalition’s standard of “new public transport infrastructure and new roads over its lifetime” is applied.

He told reporters on Tuesday: “There was charges made by, in particular (Green Party leader) Roderic O’Gorman, who was in the last government, actually saying that the ratio was less than 2:1; it wasn’t.

“The ratio is more than 2:1 new public transport projects versus roads.”

The minister said the Government was operating a ratio of “about 2.3-2.4:1”.

However, Mr O’Gorman rejected the comments as “spin”.

He said: “The minister should set out exactly how the roads budget is being broken down – new roads versus maintenance of existing roads.”

Mr O’Gorman also highlighted a press release by Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae in which he said the road network had crumbled under a “regressive approach” to investment by the Green Party.

Mr Healy-Rae said: “We are now reversing that decline and putting roads back where they belong, at the centre of national infrastructure policy.”

The Green Party leader said: “Darragh O’Brien says one thing, Michael Healy-Rae says the exact opposite.”

He said “someone is spinning a story” and either the Green Party’s approach on the 2:1 ratio is being acknowledged as correct or roads will actually be prioritised over public transport.

Mr O’Gorman said if the 2:1 ratio is maintained there is not “going to be much room in the road budget for new roads – and there’s going to be a lot of disappointed Fianna Fail and Fine Gael backbenchers”.

He added: “Or, as I suspect, over the next five years we will see roads prioritised over public transport, which is already being proven by pushing some shovel-ready public transport projects – DART South West, Finglas Luas – out post-2030, because there isn’t the money for them in this five years, because it’s being spent on roads.”

Mr O’Brien’s comments came at a press conference where he announced the details of a 1.5 billion euro allocation for national, regional and local roads.

This is broken down as 800 million euros for national roads and 718 million euros for regional roads.

The funding will progress new national road projects identified in the NDP, including the Adare Bypass, N5 Ballaghaderreen-Scramoge, and M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy.

Asked if the Adare Bypass will be completed before the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Limerick in September 2027, Minister of State for Road Safety Sean Canney said: “Sufficient funds have been put in place to make sure that the bypass is completed and we’re ready.”

The projects also include 16.5 million euros for almost 300 climate resilience measures.

Referencing recent flooding in the east of the country, Mr O’Brien said: “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.”