Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 February 2016
592. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to explain how he arrived at the figure of €106 million for repairing flood damaged roads to be allocated to local authorities; the claims submitted for road repair funding, by local authority; the amount of funding he will allocate to each local authority; and the funding required for the repair of flood damaged national roads. [4473/16]
View answerIn the aftermath of the recent severe weather, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government took the lead in responding to the immediate needs of Local Authorities arising from the storms and flooding. That Department also sought submissions from Local Authorities setting out both the estimated short-term costs and the costs related to damage to infrastructure, including transport. The €106 million provision which I announced on 28 January to address the damage to transport infrastructure arising from the recent severe storms and flooding takes account of the preliminary returns from Local Authorities and other transport agencies.
My Department has now contacted local authorities and asked them to submit details of the work required in two tranches - the first within a week to facilitate early assessment and release of funding and the second when full details of additional works are available, for example, when bridges have been fully assessed. Local authorities have been advised that, in the first instance, priority will be given to works involving the repair of roads and bridges and drainage.
