Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 May 2018
91. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the interaction his Department has had with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on the need for supplementary funding of local authorities for road repairs and maintenance budgets following damage caused by recent storms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20669/18]
View answerThere has been no interaction with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on the need for supplementary funding of local authorities for road repairs and maintenance budgets following damage caused by recent storms.
As recently outlined by the Minister for Transport, Tourism (PQ 17344/18) the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of local authorities, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's 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.
The 2018 regional and local road allocations (total €417m) were announced by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport earlier this year and all grant funding available has now been allocated.
It is a matter for each Council to determine its priorities and decide its work programme on that basis, taking available grant funding and its own resources into account.
