The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, in its area, is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants.
Earlier this year the National Roads Authority (NRA) on behalf of the Department requested information from local authorities in respect of Strategic Regional and Local Road schemes. Cavan County Council submitted an application for funding towards the preliminary design stage of the Cavan to Dundalk scheme. All applications will be considered by the NRA and the Department having regard to eligibility criteria, the need to prioritise projects, competing demands from other local authorities and the funding available for this grant category in 2013.
I will announce the 2013 regional and local road grant allocations early in the new year.