Fine Gael remains “absolutely committed” to the Cork-Limerick motorway project, according to the Finance Minister.

It comes after Green Party TD Ossian Smyth suggested the long-awaited construction of the M20 won’t happen during the lifetime of the next government.

He said the project was at a “very early stage” and noted that his party would prefer to see rail connectivity improved between the two cities.

On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Paschal Donohoe said Fine Gael would “argue very firmly” in favour of the project.

“In relation to particular road projects, I and my party remain absolutely committed to road projects such as the Cork to Limerick project,” he said.

“We will be very firmly arguing the case for projects like that and indeed, in the programme for government, it makes it very, very clear that the government supports road projects that are about how we join up cities in our country.

“I believe that is a project that fits that criteria.”

Deputy Smyth later tweeted to say the project “would continue as planned” noting that the Department of Transport was not scheduled to be completed in the next five years anyway.

The M20 project will continue as planned. The department of Transport had not planned to complete it before 2025. There is planning and preparatory work in the coming years

— Ossian Smyth TD (@smytho) June 18, 2020

Minister Donohoe said the disagreement between the parties is natural for a potential coalition government involving three parties.

“We have done our best in the programme for government to get agreement on that which we have in common,” he said,

“but I think it is going to be the case that, if the government is formed, there will be much debate and there will be areas that will require negotiation and careful engagement.

“That is what happens when you have a diverse government like the one we are looking to form.

“In this particular coalition, if it is formed, there will be three different parties that have different views on important issues – but we have dealt with as much as we can in the programme for government.”

Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin and Leader Eamon Ryan arrive for a broadcast of the parties Special Convention, 18-06-2020. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Minister Donohoe admitted that the programme for government is short on detail when it comes to cost – but insisted that in recent years, very few programmes have included detailed costings.

“To deal with the issue of affordability, I believe that, if a majority government is formed, that programme for government can be delivered ,” he said.

“But it will take between four-and-a-half and five years to do, which is why a majority in the Dáil is needed to do it.”

He said the €4bn to €6bn the carbon tax is expected to generate over the next five years will be used for capital projects that reduce emissions.

“We are prioritising the use of that money for things that can help us get to the target of 7%.

“We are saying out in the plan what kind of capital investment we think is needed and what kind of taxes will help pay for it in additional to where we are at the moment.”

He said further borrowing would also be needed in the early years of the government, while looking to reduce the national deficit in later years.

You can listen back to the full interview here: