BUDGET 2026: Roads and culture get a boost, yet questions remain
Cork is set to benefit from major investment under Budget 2026, with funding confirmed for key road, rail, and cultural projects across the region.
Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers announced a €4.7 billion allocation for the Department of Transport for 2026. The funding will support several major national projects, including the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy and the Cork Area Commuter Rail.
Phase 1 of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme will continue, with double-tracking from Glounthaune to Midleton and re-signalling of the line. The Enterprise fleet replacement project will also move forward, strengthening rail services for passengers.
Budget 2026 also includes investment in the arts, with the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork among the major projects to receive government support.
“I am allocating €84.9 million for Arts and Culture in 2026 to provide for increased funding for major projects such as the Crawford Art Gallery,” said Minister Chambers.
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin highlighted the importance of investing in infrastructure as Ireland’s population continues to grow. Speaking on RTÉ’s ‘Nine O’Clock News’, he said the Government needs to deliver more water supply and wastewater treatment, as well as provide energy and build more roads, rail, public transport, and housing.
Minister of State for Rural Transport Jerry Buttimer, TD for Cork South-Central, said the funding will strengthen connections between communities.
“I look forward to key projects progressing into their next phases, particularly the much-needed double tracking of lines in the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme.”
Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central Colm Burke praised them as “important projects for Cork”.
“Each individual department will be issuing the outlines of their own individual budgets over the course of the next 2-3 weeks which will provide further information on individual projects, such as those for Cork. Therefore, important development, infrastructure and heritage projects for Cork are at the forefront of Budget 2026.”
The Green Party in Cork has described as “a sham” the Taoiseach's comments on funding of Cork infrastructure projects in Budget 2026.
“The Taoiseach described as ‘transformational’ a commitment to fund Phase 1 of the Cork Area Commuter Rail and a number of unspecified active travel routes in Budget 2026.
“However, the Green Party point out that Phase 1 of the Cork Commuter Rail Network is all-but-complete, and concerns exist that funding may fall through for the ‘Pathfinder’ active travel scheme in the city, which was supposed to be completed this year.”
Green Party Cllr for Cork City North East, Oliver Moran, said: “The Cork Commuter Rail Network needs to move onto Phase 2, which is the building of railways stations and the buying of trains themselves. The funding for Phase 1 was already delivered by Eamon Ryan. That puts the engineering works necessary in place. Is it the Taoiseach's plan that it will be left at that? A DART-like service of rail-lines and signals but not the stations or the trains to run on it?”
He added: “There are serious concerns that the ‘Pathfinder’ Glanmire to City Centre Phase 2 active travel route will be left unfinished too. There's no mention of that. That's a final section linking the city to the network now in place in Glanmire and Little Island, along the Lower Glanmire Road. It's strategic not just for cycling but to open up areas of the North Docks and Tivoli for development. The Taoiseach was happy to open the Marina Promenade earlier this year, but if this project isn't funded it will be a clear signal he's Taoiseach only for one side of the river.”
Cork’s business community has welcomed the overall focus on competitiveness but is calling for faster progress on infrastructure delivery.
Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, said: “Delivery on infrastructure must be accelerated.”
Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO, added: “It is disappointing that we are still waiting for Government to provide additional detail on funding for specific infrastructure projects and delivery timelines. What we need to see from Government is a clear commitment to the delivery of key strategic infrastructure projects, on time and on budget.
“This must be a priority as Government moves towards implementation of the revised National Development Plan in the months ahead. We look forward to seeing further detail on funding allocations in the sectoral investment plans set to be published by each department in the coming weeks.”