€1.5 billion for national, regional and local roads

The Department of Transport will provide over €1.5 billion in exchequer funding for national, regional and local roads in 2026. This represents a 13 per cent increase in road funding over 2025.

The almost €800 million allocation for national roads includes:

• €659 million in exchequer capital funding through Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)
• €104 million for national roads under Public Private Partnerships
• approximately €33 million for regular maintenance of national roads, provided to local authorities.

TII will allocate funding to protect and renew the existing national road network across the country, funding road safety improvements, pavement and bridge renewal, and climate-resilience measures.

It will also progress the new national road projects identified in the National Development Plan and the Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, including the Adare Bypass, N5 Ballaghaderreen-Scramoge, and M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy.

The €718 million allocation for regional and local roads will allow approximately 2,800km of roads to be maintained and 2,330km to be improved. The funding includes:

• €50 million for strategic road improvement projects, including projects identified for development under the National Development Plan
• €20 million in Specific Grants for smaller scale road improvements, including: bridgeworks; safety measures such as junction reconfiguration; and schemes to alleviate traffic congestion in towns. Funded projects in 2026 include: the safety scheme on the R332 Kilbannon, Co. Galway; the rehabilitation of Archdeacon Duggan Bridge in Co. Cork; and the Kilkelly Relief Road in Co. Mayo. A total of 99 projects in this category will be funded in 2026
• €16.5 million for 294 projects under the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Programme
• €14 million for 280 low-cost road safety projects, targeting remedial measures to improve road safety for vulnerable road users and vehicular traffic.

Minister Darragh O’Brien said: “The allocations I’m announcing today will enable multiple major new road projects on the national road network to progress, including those that are at or are close to construction. This will enable greater connectivity across our country, support economic development, and deliver safer roads and less congested towns and communities.”