Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
348. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will conduct a review of the State roads grant to increase funding to local authorities to allow for adequate maintenance and renewal of local roads in each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51285/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
There were major cutbacks in funding for the road network in general during the post 2008 recession. As a result there is a backlog of road repair works in all local authority jurisdictions across the country.
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.
Within the budget available to my Department, grant funding is allocated on the basis of grant programmes and not on the basis of the category of road. The allocation of funding across specific roads or across categories is a matter for each local authority, having regard to the funding available to it from local and central sources as well as its particular priorities.
The main Regional and Local Road Grant programmes are focussed on specific policy objectives i.e. surface sealing to protect the road surface from water damage, road strengthening based on pavement condition rating to lengthen the life of roads and a Discretionary Grant Scheme which allows for a specified range of activities including winter maintenance. These 3 grant programmes account for most of the grant funding and are allocated taking into account the length of the road network and traffic factors in a particular local authority area. Apart from a requirement that 15% of the road strengthening grant is spent on regional roads, the allocation of funding to different categories of road is entirely a matter for decision by each local authority.
My Department does operate a Community Involvement Scheme (CIS) facilitate local community participation (on a voluntary basis) in the repair of local roads. The focus of the programme is on the repair of more lightly trafficked public roads which might not be high on the list of a local authority's annual roadwork programme.
Following the introduction of ring-fenced funding for a CIS programme in 2018 it was decided to provide funding over a two year period 2018/2019 so as to give local authorities more flexibility in delivering this programme. Following an application process €31 million approximately is being allocated over the 2 year 2020-2021 period. Applications have now been received from local authorities for funding for the 2022-2023 period.
