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Road Projects

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2020

Tuesday, 7 July 2020

Ceisteanna (118, 119, 120)

Thomas Gould

Ceist:

118. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if consideration has been given to fund additional road safety measures in County Cork in view of the large number per population of road fatalities in the county in 2019 and notwithstanding funding already allocated to Cork city and county councils. [14264/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Thomas Gould

Ceist:

119. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the percentage of overall national spending on road infrastructure spent in County Cork in each of the years 2010 to 2019, notwithstanding city and county council operations and projects. [14265/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Thomas Gould

Ceist:

120. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated percentage of overall national spending on road infrastructure spent in County Cork to date in 2020, notwithstanding city and county council operations and projects. [14266/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 to 120, 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 Councils' own resources supplemented by Exchequer road grants, where applicable. In the case of the four Dublin Councils, since the revision of the arrangements for the retention of Local Property Tax in 2015 these Councils are required to largely self-fund their road programmes.

As regards grant funding provided to Cork City and County since 2010 relative to overall grant funding, each year my Department prepares regional and local road allocation and payment booklets. These booklets, which are available in the Oireachtas library, include details of grant allocations and payments to each local authority under the grant programmes operated by my Department. In relation to grant payments to date in 2020, the position is that €1.5 million approx. has been paid to Cork City and €10.7 million approx. to Cork County. The overall grant amount drawn down to date is €78.5 million. Drawdown to date in 2020 by the two Cork Councils is therefore 15.5% of the total.

For the Deputy's information, the main grant programmes currently in operation are:

Restoration Maintenance (RM): The purpose of the RM grant is to protect the structural integrity of the road by way of surface dressing through the sealing of the road surface. The purpose of restoration maintenance is to maintain the asset before it requires improvement.

Restoration Improvement Grant (RI): The RI grant programme is the main road strengthening programme and caters for surface restoration, pavement overlay works, complete road rehabilitation works and for drainage works where required.

Discretionary Grant (DG): Councils have discretion in spending these grants for improvement and maintenance works subject to selecting from a list of eligible works.

Bridge Rehabilitation (BR): This programme allows local authorities to apply for monies to undertake bridge rehabilitation works.

Safety Improvement Works (BS) : This programme allows local authorities to apply for monies to undertake safety improvement works.

Community Involvement Scheme (CIS): The programme facilitates community involvement in repair and improvement of roads.

Drainage Programme: The purpose of this grant is to promote network resilience.

A pilot scheme has been implemented to provide assistance to local authorities specifically for the maintenance of Former National (FN) roads.

Specific Grant and Strategic Grants: The Department no longer seeks annual applications from local authorities in respect of the Specific (road improvement schemes costing up to €5m.) and Strategic (improvement schemes costing over €5m.) grant programmes. Instead it considers projects on a case by case basis taking into account the availability of funding and the outcome of project appraisals.

As regards the availability of funding for additional road safety measures in Cork, all available grant funding has been allocated for 2020. Within the budget available to the Department for regional and local road grants, allocations are made on as equitable basis as possible taking into account the length of road in each local authority area and traffic factors. It is open to local authorities to fund road safety measures from their own resources and my Department emphasises the importance of local authorities' prioritising works on roads when allocating own resources.

As Minister for Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and securing capital funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, planning, design, and construction is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII is, therefore, responsible for the distribution of funds under the Capital Programme for the implementation of the national roads programme.

Noting the above position, I have referred the question to TII to provide you with the information requested. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51.
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