Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 January 2016
243. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the additional specific funding he will allocate to Monaghan County Council to carry out improvement works to roads that have been damaged due to the serious flooding problems in December 2015 and January 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1699/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe maintenance of individual national roads in Monaghan is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with Monaghan County Council. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act. Regarding regional and local roads in Monaghan, the Council has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of those roads, 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 Council.
As part of the response to the storms and flooding the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government has sought submissions from local authorities setting out both the estimated short term costs and the costs related to damage to infrastructure, including transport. This is to ensure that a comprehensive picture of the full cost of the recent flood events across all sectors including the road network (national and regional and local) is garnered both by the Department of the Environment and my own Department. So far, 25 of the 28 local authorities have reported on their estimated infrastructure damage costs and my Department is in the process of reviewing the estimates received so far.
Once a full assessment can be made based on information from local authorities, my officials and those in TII will engage with local authority officials with a view to addressing critical repair work and examining the scope for remedial works on particular roads.
