Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2013
1350. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if and when the required funding will be made available to Kildare County Council to facilitate the urgently required upgrading of the bridge at Collinstown, Leixlip, County Kildare, a pivotal piece of local infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16170/13]
View answer1351. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if and when the necessary works including bridge realignment will take place to alleviate traffic congestion at Liffey Bridge, Celbridge, County Kildare; if his Department has received proposals from Kildare County Council for such works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16786/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1350 and 1351 together.
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
In July last year local authorities were invited to submit applications for consideration for funding in 2013 under the Specific Improvement Grants Scheme. Kildare County Council applied for funding for four projects under this grant category but no application for consideration for funding was included for either the Liffey Bridge, Celbridge or the bridge at Collinstown, Celbridge.
The Specific Improvement Grants Scheme is being discontinued from 2014 onward in order to maximise the funding available for repair and strengthening work. In lieu of the Specific Improvement Grant Programme, applications will be sought in mid-2013 for minor bridge repair works (which is a subset of the current Specific Grant Programme) for 2014. This is in line with focusing monies on road and bridge maintenance and strengthening and the council may wish to prioritise any strengthening aspects of these projects and submit them for consideration for funding in 2014.
Alternatively, it is open to the Council to fund these works from their own resources or from its Discretionary Grant.
The 2013 regional and local road grants have now been fully allocated and there are no further funds available from which an additional allocation could be made.
