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 local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants, where applicable. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority. As outlined in the previous PQ response, the Department of Transport provides specific funding for safety improvement projects. Applications for funding under this scheme are invited on an annual basis for consideration for funding in the subsequent year. Under the Safety Improvement Scheme, each Council are requested to submit applications in order of priority. As Louth County Council is responsible for maintaining and improving its regional and local roads, it is the Council's responsibility to determine its priorities and work programme while taking account of the funding provided from grant allocations and from the Council's own resources. Locations of interest (LOIs) are a result of the Regional Road Network Safety Analysis which identified locations that may be suitable for safety improvement works following collision trends. The LOIs may assist local authorities in their selection of locations of low-cost safety schemes but the overall prioritisation is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. According to my Department's records, an application has not been received from Louth County Council with reference to the location stated in the Parliamentary Question.
