I propose to take Questions Nos. 203 to 206, inclusive, 212, and 218 to 224, inclusive, together.
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant local authority 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. Each local authority is the contracting authority for the purpose of implementation of regional and local road improvement projects.
Under Project Ireland 2040 my Department is committed at present to providing grant funding towards the cost of 12 significant capital road improvement schemes. The table below reflects the current position regarding my Department's funding of these regional and local road schemes.
As regards grant expenditure to date on these schemes, the Regional and Local Road payment booklets available in the Oireachtas library provide details of grant payments made by my Department to the end of 2018. The 2019 Regional and Local Road allocation booklet outlines the allocations for these schemes this year and the table below outlines grants paid out to the end of August this year. I would point out that cost estimates for road improvement schemes are reviewed at project development milestones and allowing for cost inflation and project implementation risks can be subject to change.
Name of Project
|
Spend to end August 2019 €
|
Total Estimated Cost to DTTaS
|
Estimated Project Completion Date
|
R407 Sallins By Pass
|
3,646,262
|
57,000,000
|
2020
|
Coonagh to Knockalisheen
|
1,675,744
|
52,000,000
|
2022
|
Athy Southern Distributor Road
|
617,778
|
34,000,000
|
2023
|
Adamstown and Nangor Road Upgrade
|
3,769,578
|
18,000,000
|
Construction Complete
|
Eastern Garavogue Bridge and Approach Road
|
50,000
|
20,000,000
|
2022
|
Sligo Western Distributor Road
|
5,943,498
|
15,000,000
|
2020
|
R498 Latteragh Realignment
|
0
|
15,000,000
|
2022
|
Tralee Northern Relief Road
|
0
|
11,000,000
|
2021
|
Portlaoise Southern Distributor Road
|
2,505,615
|
7,000,000
|
2019
|
Laytown to Bettystown Link Road
|
38,606
|
8,000,000
|
2020
|
Dingle Relief Road
|
821,867
|
4,000,000
|
Construction Complete
|
Shannon Crossing/Kilalloe Bypass/R494 Upgrade
|
1,505,815
|
62,000,000
|
2023
|
The bulk of the funding available under the NDP for regional and local roads is earmarked for maintenance and renewal work. In this context grants are provided on an ongoing basis to local authorities under a range of programmes operated by the Department with the allocations for individual programmes determined on an annual basis within the overall capital envelope.