Plans to accelerate the building of motorways between Dublin and Cork were announced today by the Minster for Transport.
Mr Brennan said priority would be given to the completion of two motorways to the south and west now that the M1 motorway from Dublin to Belfast is nearly done.
The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) and the National Roads Authority (NRA) are in talks to examine ways of wrapping the building of the Dublin-Cork road into one co-ordinated infrastructure project linked to a specific finance package.
"By taking an overall approach and bringing the various planned road schemes under one umbrella it may be possible to make a dramatic leap forward on delivering this vital inter-city motorway," said Mr Brennan.
The Department of Transport is also drafting a Critical Infrastructure (Motorways) Bill in an effort to shorten the planning stage for major infrastructure.
"The major problem is that from the time the route is selected to the time the first sod is turned can be up to seven years because of planning conditions, compulsory purchase orders, land acquisition, property prices and a myriad of other legal requirements. The Bill will address all these issues and seek to shorten the planning cycle," said Mr Brennan.
To date 55 kilometres of new road has been completed between Dublin and Cork, with 37 kilometres under construction at a cost of €37 million; a further 175 kilometres, requiring total planned investment of €1.5 billion, is at various stages of planning.
The Minister was speaking today after opening the N8 Watergrasshill by-pass in Co Cork - which was completed four months ahead of schedule at a cost of €108 million. The by-pass is 10 kilometres long.