Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 19 Nov 1998

Vol. 497 No. 1

Written Answers. - Roads Funding.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

97 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the serious conditions of many country roads; the plans, if any, he has to ensure the availability of sufficient funding to meet the requirements of the local authorities concerned in terms of addressing this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24292/98]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

The Deputy will be aware of the significantly increased commitment of State expenditure in recent years aimed at systematically improving our non-national roads. Total State allocations of non-national roads has increased by 18 per cent in 1998 over 1997, in relation to initial year allocations. For 1999, a total of more than £242 million in non-national road grants will be provided, mainly through the new local government fund which I have established; this will represent a further annual increase of 18 per cent.

The Government is committed to providing sufficient moneys to enable the restoration programme to be completed over the ten years originally envisaged. As firm evidence of this commitment, I provided more than £118 million in restoration grants in 1998 as compared with £93.3 million in 1997. This has accelerated the programme and has allowed county councils to undertake almost 90 per cent of their 1999 restoration improvement schemes in 1998; by the end of the year a total of more than 5,200 road schemes will have been financed across the country, with some 8,400 kilometres of road benefiting from the expenditure involved. Since mid 1995, when the restoration programme was launched, to the end of 1998 more than 14,800 schemes will have been completed with over 24,000 kilometres or 27 per cent of the network benefiting.

In addition to restoration programme grants my Department has this year allocated nearly £51 million to local authorities under the various EU co-funded schemes of grants and almost £30 million to local authorities in discretionary grants.