Vol. 560 No. 3
424 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will direct and provide funding where necessary to the various local authorities to facilitate early improvement to the road network following damage done by winter rains; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2698/03]
426 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the extent to which he will give directions to the various local authorities to facilitate the alleviation of flooding on road networks throughout the country in view of the necessity to improve safety standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2700/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 424 and 426 together.
The maintenance and improvement of non-national roads in their areas is a matter for local authorities to be funded from their own resources supplemented by State grants. The initial selection of projects or works to be funded under the various grant categories is also a matter for local authorities.
I recently announced 2003 non-national road allocations of €422.986 million – exclusive the local improvement scheme – to local authorities for 2003. In this context discretionary maintenance, restoration maintenance and discretionary improvement grants of €24.732 million, €50.849 million and €20.91 million have been allocated to county councils in 2003.
The significant funds available to local authorities for non-national roads maintenance and improvement are intended to cover contingencies arising from flooding, storm damage and other severe weather conditions. My Department's memorandum on grants for non-national roads provides that the cost of remedial works necessitated by such conditions must be met from these resources and that local authorities should set aside contingency sums to finance these works.
My Department is also prepared to consider sympathetically any request from local authorities to adjust their multi-annual restoration programmes in order to prioritise work necessitated by flood damage to particular roads or to carry out works to prevent future flooding, such as raising roads.
425 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the financial provisions by Kildare County Council to facilitate the realignment of Bond Bridge, Maynooth, County Kildare; if his Department has offered advice or other assistance to facilitate early commencement of the works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2699/03]
As this project will be funded from Kildare County Council's own resources, details of the financial provisions for the project may appropriately be sought from Kildare County Council. Kildare County Council has not sought advice or other assistance from my Department on the realignment of Bond Bridge.
Question No. 426 answered with Question No. 424.
427 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the extent to which progress has been made in regard to the full extent of the roads programme as identified in the national development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2701/03]
In the case of non-national roads, for which my Department is responsible, the National Development Plan 2000-2006 commits expenditure of €2.43 billion to this network in this period, €1.08 billion in the BMW region and €1.35 billion in the SE region.
Expenditure in both regions is well ahead of that profiled for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2002. In the BMW region actual expenditure of nearly €494 million took place against a profile of €458 million. In the SE region actual expenditure was €677 million compared to a profile of €580 million. Total expenditure in the 2000-02 period was €1.171 billion against a profile of €1.038 billion. This is almost 13% ahead of profile.
Excellent progress continues to be made under this measure which was confirmed by the evaluation of investment in the road network carried out by Fitzpatrick Associates, economic consultants, and published in August 2002.
The 2003 non-national road grant allocations announced on 27 January 2003 provide for expenditure of €171.6 million in the BMW region and €247.3 million in the SE region. In both cases the expenditure allocated exceeds the NDP and regional operational programme profiles for 2003.
