Vol. 540 No. 1
311 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the figures given to each county for national and non-national road winter maintenance to combat road disintegration through snow and frost damage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19615/01]
312 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on whether there should be preferential subventions for road maintenance in counties where weather conditions are recognised as being most harsh, leading to roads breaking up on a more frequent and severe basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19616/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 and 312 together.
In determining non-national road grant allocations for 2001, the objective has been to resource all local authorities appropriately in relation to their ongoing and special needs. This process is guided by a range of criteria, including road pavement conditions, traffic volumes, length of road network and suitability in relation to criteria for EU co-financing to each local authority.
My Department's Memorandum on Grants for Non-National Roads states that the cost of remedial works arising as a result of flooding and storm damage must be met from the combined State grant-own resources provision to each local authority and that local authorities should, each year provide a contingency sum from this overall provision so as to finance road and bridge restoration works which may be necessitated by severe weather conditions.
Over £323 million has been allocated in non-national road grants in 2001. The allocation of £17.87 million in 2001 to county councils in discretionary maintenance grants is an increase of 30% compared to 2000. The allocation in 2001 of £36.74 million to county councils in restoration maintenance grants represents a 10% increase compared to 2000. Details of individual grant allocations may be found in the 2001 non-national roads allocations booklet, which is available in the Oireachtas Library.
As the NRA has overall responsibility for the planning and supervision of works for the construction and maintenance of national roads, my Department provides a block grant to the NRA in respect of national road maintenance, which is £40 million in 2001. An ice detection monitoring system to predict ice formations on national roads has also been developed by the NRA and is operated by the NRA and road authorities.
