Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
336. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide additional funds to Offaly County Council for road maintenance projects particularly in view of the fact that many of the existing roads have peat foundations which require above average maintenance work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51030/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra337. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide additional funds to Laois County Council for road maintenance projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51031/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra338. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport if specific funding is available for local authorities in counties Laois and Offaly that wish to engage in road widening works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51032/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 336 to 338, inclusive, together.
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each 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 State road grants, where applicable. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
As regards funding for road maintenance projects in Laois and Offaly, within the budget available to the Department, funding is allocated on as fair and equitable a basis as possible to eligible local authorities. In this context, grants in the main grant categories are allocated based on the length of the road network within a local authority's area of responsibility with some account taken of traffic.
Funding is not yet at the level needed for the adequate protection and renewal of regional and local roads and so for this reason, the primary focus for capital investment under the revised National Development Plan continues to be the protection and renewal of the network with some limited investment in road improvement projects. Allocations for 2022 will be notified to local authorities early next year.
There has been and continues to be ongoing discussion between the Department and Offaly County Council in relation to roads which are built over peat. Separate to the normal grants for road maintenance / rehabilitation works, Offaly County Council requested funding for an investigation scheme in 2019 to determine the extent and depth of peat underlying certain key regional routes in the county. This information is essential in order to determine the most cost effective way of overcoming the ongoing problems with these roads. The Department agreed to an investigation scheme and as it progressed the Department made payments to the Council of €165,000 in 2019, €26,967 in 2020 and has provided an allocation of €40,000 in 2021.
These grants have allowed a significant number of site investigation works to be carried out (more than 300 boreholes, nearly 100 dynamic probes and more than 50 window samples). The Council is currently preparing drawings detailing the extent of the peat underlying the key regional roads and will report to the Department on the findings in 2021.
The report will outline the results of the investigation scheme along with feasible solutions and cost estimates based on the Council’s experience of such works on national roads. Upon receipt of the report the Department will discuss with the Council the choices and costs in terms of rehabilitation works on roads over peat and how targeted interventions can best be accommodated in terms of the funding available to the Council under the Department’s investment programmes.
As regards the funding available to Laois and Offaly County Councils for road widening works, any road improvement projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific Grant Programme 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 regional and local road improvement works it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.
As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and securing exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the maintenance and improvement of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Public Spending Code Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise on the current status of national roads in Laois and Offaly.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
