The Transport Minister appears to have poured cold water on one of Leo Varadkar's campaign pledges in the Fine Gael leadership race.
Minister Varadkar wants to prioritise the construction of the M20 motorway between Cork and Limerick.
It has already been delayed until at least 2023 because of the cost of the project.
This evening Shane Ross told the Dáil if it got the go ahead it would use up all the extra money being made available for capital spending.
"I take what Deputy Collins says about stages as a constructive suggestion but the problem with spending with that [is it] would use up virtually entire capital really.. So what I wouldn't rule out particularly in this case is creative solutions," he said.