Road Network

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 December 2011

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Ceisteanna (510)

Mattie McGrath

Ceist:

520 Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the condition of the country’s roads, particularly rural county roads that are being neglected by local authorities; his plan to ensure that these roads are not further neglected; his further views on whether the long-term neglect of these roads will lead to increased cost to him and local authorities and have a devastating effect on local infrastructure and business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39791/11]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Leo Varadkar)

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in its area, is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants.

While my Department provides these grants (which are administered through the NRA) to road authorities for works on regional and local roads, such grants are intended to supplement their own resources. My Department's grants are not and never were intended to provide for the full funding of regional and local roads.

This year local authorities have been provided with grants totalling €452 million for the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads. This includes an additional €60 million allocated for road strengthening under the Jobs Initiative in May of this year. However, there is also a need for local authorities to provide sufficient moneys for the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads from their own resources budget.