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. The initial selection and prioritization of works is a matter for decision by the local authority.
Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific/Strategic Grant Programmes are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and the Department's Capital Appraisal Framework (CAF). Given the limited funding available for RLR improvement works it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.
My Department has been providing grant support to Mayo County Council for the planning and design of a road re-alignment and bridge replacement scheme at Glenisland on the R312. The Council has recently submitted revised proposals for the scheme which are being reviewed.
It is also open to Mayo County Council to prioritise works on the R312 under the road surfacing and strengthening grant programmes. In this context Mayo County Council has received a significant increase in Exchequer grant support in the last two years in particular. Overall, the Council has seen an increase of over 33% in 2019 compared to 2017. I also continue to emphasise to Councils the importance of prioritising road maintenance and renewal when allocating own resources.
The regional and local road grant allocations for 2020 will be announced in the New Year.
