The M20 Limerick to Cork motorway is to be included in the 10 Year Capital Plan, giving the green light to this long awaited project.

“I was delighted to hear An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, confirm this morning (Friday) that the M20 Cork to Limerick motorway is to be included in the 10 Year Capital Plan and that it will be given the utmost priority.

“The Taoiseach said today that funds are no longer be a barrier to this project, which no doubt will be music to the ears of people in my own county of Cork and Munster as a whole.

“Last year the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport gave approval to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to re-activate the planning process for the M20 (Limerick to Cork) motorway project. He confirmed that funding had been secured to bring the M20 through route selection and to An Bord Pleanála.

“The Taoiseach noted today that once planning permission is secured, the major costs will occur in land purchase and construction. Those costs are unlikely to arise in the current capital plan to 2021, however they will arise very soon thereafter.  That is why this motorway is to be given priority in the 10 Year Capital plan.

“The people of Cork and Munster have been waiting for this motorway for a long time and it will be a really significant step forward for the economic development of the region. The road will reduce the journey time from Cork to Limerick to 45 minutes which will make a major difference to commerce between the two counties and in surrounding areas.

“Fine Gael is working to ensure that our economic recovery reaches every part of the country. Motorway projects like this are a perfect example of the vision and large scale investment needed to make this happen. Projects like this provide real opportunities in a region, encouraging enterprise and job creation. This motorway is really good news for people in communities right across Cork and the province of Munster.”