Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 13 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 5

Written Answers. - Urban Road Improvements.

Liz O'Donnell

Ceist:

39 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has to make specific financial provision for the upgrading of urban streets, footpaths and roadways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21130/96]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Ms McManus)

Responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of roads in urban areas rests with individual road authorities. In the case of non-national roads, the improvement of such roads normally falls to be funded from the road authority's own resources, supplemented by the annual grants for these roads; it is generally a matter for individual road authorities to select the projects they wish to fund, subject to the guidelines which apply. In the case of national roads, any necessary improvements would be a matter for consideration by the local authority concerned and the National Roads Authority.

A total of £8 million in discretionary block grants has been allocated to urban road authorities in 1996 for works on non-national roads in their areas. The level of these allocations has increased significantly in the last few years, from £5.5 million in 1993 to £8 million in 1996, an increase of 45 per cent. In addition, a sum of £4.07 million has been allocated to urban authorities in 1996 under the EC co-financed scheme of grants for specific improvement projects on non-national roads and under a special, once-off scheme for the restoration of road pavements in areas where exceptional damage has been caused by work connected with water or sewerage schemes. In all, therefore, grant allocations of £12.07 million have been made to urban authorities in 1996 for non-national roads, an increase of £2 million on the grants paid in 1995.

Over £225 million has been provided to the National Roads Authority for the improvement and maintenance of the national road network in 1996. The allocation of grants to local authorities, including urban authorities, for works on national roads is a matter for the Authority.