The beneficiaries
TRANSPORT €850m
In the west, the N17-N18 Gort to Tuam link will provide 57km of motorway, bypassing Clarinbridge and Claregalway, as well as Tuam. Work could start next year.
According to the Department of Transport, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has indicated approval in principle for “debt funding” for the scheme. “Arrangements to finalise the full funding mechanism can now be progressed.” The scheme has statutory approval, the land is acquired and there is a preferred tenderer in place.
The M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy will involve the upgrading of 26km of road to motorway standard. It will include a bypass of Enniscorthy. Construction could start in 2014.
This scheme also has statutory approval, and the land has been acquired. The project, combined with the N25 New Ross bypass, was previously included in a public private partnership (PPP) roads programme and a tender commenced. “However, the PPP tender was terminated in view of the State’s financial difficulties,” the department said.
The N25 New Ross bypass will provide about 13.6km of new road from Glenmore at the eastern border of Kilkenny and crossing over the River Barrow with a new bridge into Wexford. The start date is 2014.
The bypass aims to provide a “significant” new section of the route linking Waterford city with Wexford, and to improve access to Rosslare port. “A PPP tender process can be restarted quickly due to today’s announcement,” the department said.
The Galway city bypass is described as “a further priority transport project”. The planned 12km orbital route for Galway city linking with the M6 major inter-urban route to Dublin is on hold pending the outcome of legal proceedings.
EDUCATION €280m
Some €180 million of the Government’s estimated €2.25 billion stimulus package will go towards the postponed Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) campus at Grangegorman. The College of Art and Tourism, the College of Sciences and Health and part of the College of Engineering and Built Environment are expected to relocate to the campus.
According to Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn, stage one of the project will see the “commencement of the enabling works at the Grangegorman site next year – a prelude to the start of the roll-out of the PPP element of the project at the site”.
Two “bundles” of school projects are due to be delivered through PPPs worth a total of €100 million. Procurement is due to commence on a rolling basis next year, with the completion of the school bundles during 2017 and 2018.
The first bundle, with an estimated value of €50 million, contains one primary and five post-primary schools. They include a replacement school building at St Joseph’s, Tulla, Co Clare. Another replacement school will be constructed in Skibbereen, Co Cork, involving the amalgamation of Mercy Heights, De La Salle and Rossa College.
Celbridge, Co Kildare, will get a new primary school and a post-primary school. There will be an extension to St Mary’s College, Dundalk, Co Louth, and a replacement school in Comeragh, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary.
JUSTICE €190m
Three new Garda divisional headquarters have been approved. They are in the Dublin South Central, Galway and Wexford divisions. Court refurbishment developments have been approved in Cork, Mullingar and Waterford, as well as new courts buildings in Drogheda, Letterkenny, Limerick and Wexford.
The projects had been postponed due to funding shortages.
There will also be State investment in a new State pathology laboratory. It will incorporate postmortem rooms, laboratories and modern mortuary facilities for use by the Office of the State Pathologist and the Dublin Coroner. Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said it was expected that the projects would commence next year and construction would continue during 2014 and 2015.
HEALTH €115m
Two “bundles” of primary care centres are due to be progressed. Minister for Health James Reilly said facilities will be developed at 20 locations across the country.
The Department of Health provided a list of 35 locations, of which 20 will be commissioned, subject to agreement between local GPs and the Health Service Executive (HSE) on active local GP involvement in the centres.
The locations are: Balbriggan; Ballaghadereen; Ballymote, Co Sligo; Boyle, Co Roscommon; Carrickmacross; Carrick-on-Suir; Claremorris; Clonmel; Coolock; Cork City (Togher); Crumlin/Drimnagh; Darndale; Donegal town; Drogheda North; Dublin Inner City (Summerhill); Dungarvan; Dungloe, Co Donegal; Ennis; Gort; Kells; Kilcock; Kilkenny; Knocklyon/Rathfarnham; Laytown/Bettystown; Limerick City; Rathdrum, Co Wicklow; Rowlagh/North Clondalkin; Swords; Thurles; Tralee; Tuam; Tullow/Rathvilly (East Carlow); Waterford City; Westport; Wexford Town