In accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of their regional and local roads. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State Road grants. Of these grants, the vast majority (approximately 90%) are targeted at the maintenance and renewal of the existing network with c. 10% of the remaining funding invested in new roads/bridges or for road realignments.Louth County Council is the statutory planning and road authority in its functional area. It is, therefore, a matter for Louth County Council to consider options regarding the development of the proposed Port Access Northern Cross Route (PANCR) scheme in Drogheda.It should be noted that there is a limited budget available for projects under the Regional and Local Road Strategic Grant Programme and that, under the Infrastructure Guidelines (formerly the Public Spending Code), a Project/Programme Outline Document (previously Strategic Assessment Report (SAR)) is required for all projects which are estimated to cost in excess of €15 million (previously €10 million). To date a Preliminary Appraisal has been received by my Department from Louth County Council in connection with a further phase of the PANCR scheme. This is currently under consideration by my officials. Louth County Council was not given an allocation in 2024 for further phases of the PANCR scheme.
