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.
Within the budget available to the Department, grant funding is allocated on as fair and equitable basis as possible. In this context, grants in the main grant categories are allocated based on the length of regional and local roads within a local authority area of responsibility and contributing traffic factors. Arising from the arrangements in place in relation to Local Property Tax receipts, the four Dublin Councils are largely self-funding for works on regional and local roads since 2015 and my Department no longer provides grants to these Councils under the main regional and local road grant categories.
Grant funding has been allocated based on the 2012 road length figures as set out in the table below. The Department is currently in the process of updating those road length figures.
Details of the regional and local road grant payments in previous years and allocations for 2019 to local authorities are outlined in the regional and local road grant booklets which are available in the Dáil Library.
Local Authority
|
Regional km
|
Local km
|
Total km
|
Carlow
|
186
|
1008
|
1194
|
Cavan
|
399
|
2481
|
2880
|
Clare
|
634
|
3439
|
4073
|
Cork
|
1402
|
10465
|
11867
|
Donegal
|
800
|
5325
|
6125
|
Dunlaoghaire Rathdown
|
106
|
561
|
667
|
Fingal
|
262
|
982
|
1244
|
Galway
|
826
|
5443
|
6269
|
Kerry
|
536
|
3802
|
4338
|
Kildare
|
482
|
1889
|
2371
|
Kilkenny
|
421
|
2584
|
3005
|
Laois
|
349
|
1721
|
2070
|
Leitrim
|
336
|
1769
|
2105
|
Limerick City and County
|
521
|
3138
|
3659
|
Longford
|
154
|
1367
|
1521
|
Louth
|
266
|
1389
|
1655
|
Mayo
|
629
|
5459
|
6088
|
Meath
|
574
|
2578
|
3152
|
Monaghan
|
302
|
2122
|
2424
|
Offaly
|
389
|
1666
|
2055
|
Roscommon
|
373
|
3357
|
3730
|
Sligo
|
224
|
2286
|
2510
|
South Dublin
|
106
|
786
|
892
|
Tipperary
|
896
|
4482
|
5378
|
Waterford City and County
|
421
|
2426
|
2847
|
Westmeath
|
310
|
1829
|
2139
|
Wexford
|
477
|
2851
|
3328
|
Wicklow
|
445
|
1671
|
2116
|
Cork City
|
44
|
419
|
463
|
Dublin City
|
215
|
931
|
1146
|
Galway City
|
35
|
245
|
280
|
Total
|
13,120
|
80,471
|
93,591
|
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 operation of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Within the budget available to it, allocations to individual local authorities is also a matter for TII. I have, therefore, forwarded the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.