Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 February 2010
302 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the number of road accident blackspots currently publicly identified on the various road networks throughout the country; if requests have been received for funding to address this issue from either the National Roads Authority or the local authorities as appropriate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6808/10]
View answer303 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport if, from his Department’s Vote, head or subhead, it might be appropriate to allocate funding to the National Roads Authority or the local authorities for the specific purpose of addressing road accident blackspots throughout the country; the extent to which funding has been requested for that purpose in the past; the degree to which he will respond in the future having regard to the public comment on the issue. [6809/10]
View answerI propose to take Questions 302 and 303 together.
The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. I understand that the NRA each year provides funds for safety related works on national roads. The selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded is a matter for the NRA in conjunction with the relevant the local authority.
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. The carrying out of works on these roads is a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
Since 2000, road grants have been paid from my Department's regional and local road grant allocations to local authorities under the Low Cost Safety Improvement Works Scheme for regional and local roads. Funding is allocated to locations which show possible contributory factors or accident patterns which may respond to low cost road improvements. In 2009, grants totalling €5.86 million were paid under the scheme to local authorities. I will announce the 2010 regional and local road grant allocations shortly.
