Skip to main content
Normal View

Roads Maintenance Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 October 2018

Thursday, 4 October 2018

Questions (207)

Robert Troy

Question:

207. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the actual spend on road repairs arising from flood damage in 2017 and to date in 2018. [40448/18]

View answer

Written answers

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant local authority 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. Details of the regional and local road grant allocations and payments to local authorities (including those for 2017) are outlined in the regional and local road grant booklets which are available in the Dáil Library.

I announced the 2018 Regional and Local Road (RLR) allocations on 29th January (€417m) and all grant funding available to my Department has now been allocated. Following a severe flooding event in August 2017, Donegal County Council received a payment of €1.6m in 2017 and a further allocation of €10m in 2018 for repairs to roads affected by the event. In addition, 2018 saw the introduction of ring-fenced funding of €10m for drainage measures. This funding may be used for the alleviation of road drainage problems either through new works or remedial works.

While there is no dedicated RLR funding for flooding, local authorities may carry out repairs from the RLR grants available to them and from their own resources. In this context, it is open to each Council to determine and reprioritise its work programme following severe weather events.

As regards actual spend on repairs to roads as a result of flooding events, this is a matter for the relevant local authority. To date €213m has been drawn down by local authorities from the 2018 RLR investment programme.

In relation to national roads as Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the planning, design and operation of individual roads is a matter for the relevant road authority in relation to local and regional roads, or for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in conjunction with the local authorities concerned, in relation to national roads.

Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy's question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A
Top
Share