In a development that could put the brakes on Cork’s infrastructure ambitions, some of Ireland’s most significant road projects are facing potential delays due to funding uncertainties, according to the head of the country’s road-building agency.
According to Irish Examiner, Peter Walsh, Chief Executive of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), has sounded the alarm on the precarious future of key projects, including the groundbreaking M20 Cork to Limerick multi-modal transport scheme and the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy motorway.
The culprit? A year-to-year funding model that leaves long-term planning in the dust.
“There is a difficulty with the roads project pipeline at the moment,” Walsh told the Irish Examiner. “The second half of the National Development Plan from 2026 to 2030 has a very ambitious programme but currently our pipeline is very lean.”
Walsh’s solution? A call for multi-annual funding allocation that would give TII the financial foresight needed to navigate the complex, years-long process of major infrastructure development.
The M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy project, despite ongoing advance works and recent tender publications, now faces an uncertain future. Meanwhile, expectations for the massive M20 Cork to Limerick transport project are being tempered, with Walsh describing the planning process as potentially “torturous.”
“We would like to have a confirmed multi-annual funding programme so that we can plan and share those plans with more certainty,” Walsh emphasized, highlighting the critical need for stable, long-term financial commitment.
As Cork’s roads face this funding pothole, the question remains: Will the government shift gears to keep these vital projects on track, or will Cork’s infrastructure dreams be left in the slow lane?
