Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have previously raised in the House the issue of noise mitigation measures along motorways in general. It is particularly pertinent for me because I live 500 m from the Dunkettle interchange and over the years, with the increasing volume of traffic on the motorway and in the surrounding areas, noise has become a definite issue for people. This matter also relates to Harper’s Island, which is a bird and wildlife sanctuary just off the motorway in Glounthaune. The Minister will be very familiar with Glounthaune as he spent time there when he was growing up. I want to introduce that to the debate. It is not just an issue about noise levels but also a health issue for the people who live in the surrounding areas. As I said, it is also an environmental issue because of the environmental implications, which is another reason I am raising it.

I understand from dealing with this issue in the past that the Minister’s script is, more or less, going to tell me that it is fundamentally the responsibility of the local authority and that when it comes to developing new roads, in particular new motorways, any mitigation required at that point should be built into the scheme as it progresses, but any existing road or scheme is essentially the responsibility of the local authority. The difficulty I have with this logic is that roads get busier and noisier, in particular at the Dunkettle interchange, which is a massive interchange with a massive volume of traffic. It is only right that we have flexibility into the future, and that flexibility should be provided for local authorities to mitigate against the worst effects of noise.

I understand that noise mitigation plans must be completed every few years. The current noise mapping shows there are clear breaches of the acceptable decibel limits along this corridor. That has been mapped and is a known fact, yet we are still in this position and no measures are being taken to mitigate against the worst impacts of noise. I understand the EPA has a role in monitoring this and, therefore, between the EPA and the local authority, there are plenty of people making action plans and plenty of people monitoring noise, but nobody has the money or budget to do anything about it.

Deputy O'Dea has an issue with this in Limerick too and has raised it in the past. I think Deputy Lahart has also raised it. We made a plea to various Ministers that this be included as a line item in the budget. Unfortunately that has not transpired. We are burying our heads in the sand thinking this is not an issue for the communities that live particularly close to motorways the length and breadth of the country.

Returning to Harper’s Island, millions of euro in government money has been spent there in grants in recent years on preparing that facility. It is a wonderful facility. People go there for quiet walks and, most importantly, it is the central location in Cork harbour for wintering birds. Anyone in BirdWatch Ireland or anyone related to that site or anyone in the Glounthaune Community Association will say that the constant noise emanating from the motorway is having an adverse effect on the birds in particular and the wildlife there. I can predict the Minister’s script. I do not necessarily blame the Minister but I am just asking if we can find a way to navigate the provision of funding, most importantly, to local authorities and get someone to step up and take responsibility for the issue.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I do know the area. My grandfather grew up there. We had a family farm just on the other side of the Glantane and I absolutely accept what the Deputy is saying about the impact of noise, particularly. It is often forgotten about or it is slightly abstract but it has a huge impact on people’s quality of life and health so it is a real issue.

I will read the response I have because it is important to put on the record where the responsibility lies before coming back to the Deputy. Once funding arrangements for national roads are put in place with TII under the Roads Act, 1993 to 2015, and in line with the NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP.

As part of the construction of new roads projects, TII ensures that a detailed noise assessment is carried out at the planning and design phase of the scheme in question. Where necessary, noise mitigation measures are then implemented during the construction of the scheme. However, it is important to point out that the situation differs for existing national roads post construction. The amended European Communities (Environmental Noise Regulations) 2018, under SI 549, deal with the requirements to prepare noise actions plans to be developed for the purpose of managing environmental noise issues and their effects, including noise reduction, if necessary. The EPA is the national authority for overseeing the implementation of these regulations. Local authorities, in their role as designated action planning authorities, are responsible for making and approving noise actions plans. TII’s role in respect of noise mitigation is in the implementation of noise mitigation measures during the construction stage of national roads. With regard to existing national roads, this is a matter for local authorities. TII supports local authorities through the provision of noise maps but it is for the respective local authorities to use the results of these noise mapping exercises to develop noise action plans and to implement such measures as may be identified in these plans to mitigate such noise. As such, it is for local authorities to fund and implement such measures and my Department has no role in this case.

I will put a question back to the Deputy, if I may. With the major development of the Dunkettle interchange over the past three years, which is coming to conclusion, and the tender out for the new motorway section from Ringaskiddy to the Dunkettle roundabout, has the local authority undertaken those noise action plans and noise monitoring on Harper’s Island? What is the local authority saying about fulfilling its obligations under that 2018 regulation under the European Communities noise regulations? It is a matter for the local authority, particularly where it is an existing road. I do not know whether the major road developments in the area might have given or still give an opportunity. I presume it is primarily surface treatment. The alternative is barriers. I do not know whether the local authority has given any indication, particularly in this area where major road developments are taking place, of whether it is doing that mapping or considering any resurfacing - resurfacing would have to be done by TII as a national road in conjunction with a local authority – or whether any barrier systems will be put in place. It is really the local authority that has to take on that function and fulfil the requirements of the regulation.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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There is usually a copy of the script in the Chamber but unfortunately there is no copy of that response.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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No. I will ask my private secretary to bring a copy.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To address the Minister’s questions, there is provision for replacement surfacing in the immediate areas around the Dunkettle interchange as part of its upgrade in recent years. That is still ongoing. On the Ringaskiddy project and the noise action plans that have been prepared for that, that is on the south side of the river so I do not know whether the remit of the noise action plans extend to the eastern part of the city that I am talking about.

I imagine it is quite a big undertaking noise barriers are needed to be erected the full length of that motorway. I do not necessarily agree that this might be the best course of action here but I am not an engineer. If it is the case, that would be a considerable cost to a local authority. I expect it would cost multiple millions of euro just to erect sound barriers on that 10 km stretch of motorway. Local authorities do not have that kind of funding and they are telling us that year in, year out. That is why we made the ask leading up to the last two budgets that this would be a specific line item in the roads budget. It is not acceptable or realistic that the local authority would be asked to find an extra €10 million or whatever it would be, and that is just for this stretch of motorway. It is not including the dozens of other sections that are adversely affected.

With regard to the ongoing speed limit review under the Road Traffic Acts, which falls under the Minister’s remit, is there a possibility that the speed limit on this stretch of motorway would be reduced from 120 km/h to 100 km/h to hopefully reduce the noise levels there?

The Minister said that this issue is ultimately the local authority’s responsibility. If a local authority is in receipt of information that shows that decibel limits have been breached for the best part of a decade what responsibility is on it to make sure it steps up and does the work? It is grand to publish plans but if local authorities are not making any demonstrable efforts to tackle that, what is their responsibility?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am interested in whether the resurfacing as part the Dunkettle upgrade has had an impact. That is why mapping is important to measure before and after and I do not know whether that extends as far east. I mentioned the Ringaskiddy development because it is likely to increase the volume of traffic and, potentially, heavy goods vehicles, which are even noisier in terms of their weight they carry. That is the only reason I mentioned that project. I do not expect the response would be that there would be a 10 km barrier system because that would have quite an impact visually and be very expensive. However, the benefit of mapping is that interventions could be targeted around particular houses. Along motorways, we often see houses that are particularly vulnerable to noise pollution. It might be more specific spots where we would look for such barriers for protection.

I am trying to recall the speed limit review conducted almost two years ago, which we will start implementing this autumn. It did not recommend a change in the 120 km/h speed limit for the motorway. The review is available on the Department’s website so the Deputy can go back and check whether there was anything specific or what the reasoning was behind that. However, the changes are primarily coming on non-national roads below the 100 km/h speed limit.

On the third question, it is the responsibility of local authorities. That responsibility first resides with the council as an ability. It is not that there is a lack of funding, if it is a funding requirement. This year, Cork County Council will get an allocation for roads of €61 million. Roughly half of that is just for protecting and renewal. That might be the budget that this road section might need.

Rather than putting in a new road, we will be adapting an existing road. I do not believe funding would be the primary constraint. Obviously, an area always has to be managed. As the Deputy knows, we will have to provide additional funding for flood protection following what happened in Midleton and Glanmire last year. It is a matter for the council and it must be held to account if it is not protecting the citizens in the way it should.