Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2016
862. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the Douglas east-west link bridge, County Cork; his plans to provide funding for this project over the coming years and how much funding will be required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12855/16]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in its area is a statutory function of the relevant 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. The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded from these monies is a matter for each local authority. My Department has not received any recent application for grant assistance relating to a Douglas East-West Link.
Given the cutbacks since the financial crisis in State funding for regional and local roads, it has been necessary to curtail the grant programmes for regional and local road improvement schemes and for major realignment schemes in order to protect the funding available for the maintenance of the existing network.
