Galway West TD John Connolly pressed the minister during Dáil Questions this week, complaining that the project has endured “prolonged delays in the planning and assessment system."
A planning submission for the road was submitted in October 2023, and this week an allocation of '€1bn+' in the revised National Development Plan (NDP ) was earmarked for procurement to begin in 2028, subject to planning permission being granted soon. The latest NDP confirms that congestion is costing Galway’s economy €100m per year.
“For more than two years, there has been no certainty on when a final decision will be made by An Coimisiún Pleanála,” said Connolly. “That followed a three-and-a-half year assessment by An Bord Pleanála, which failed [after] judicial review. That is nearly six years of an assessment process for a piece of infrastructure badly needed for Galway, especially as there's traffic chaos on a daily basis.”
Connolly said this continued delay is “holding back our city” because bodies such as the National Transport Authority are unable to implement transport strategies for Galway until a decision is made on the ring road.
“The people of Galway deserve the same clarity and certainty afforded to other major transport projects,” said Connolly. “Government says it supports this essential infrastructure. Successive governments have committed to building it. Now we need a timeline. Galway has waited long enough.”
In response, Minister O'Brien said the Government “wants to see this road built” as it is “critical for Galway and the surrounding areas”. He added that it was “a matter of regret that it's taken so long”.
“I welcome Minister O’Brien’s commitment, following my intervention, to seeking an immediate update on when a final decision can be expected on the ring road,” said Connolly. “However, I will not be satisfied with just a timeline update. I want to see action on this issue, and a positive outcome that will see the ring road - more than a quarter of a century after it was first proposed - finally get the green light for construction to start.”
