Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Responsibility for maintaining national roads and motorways lies entirely with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

With regard to local and regional roads, all our grants do is supplement the local authorities' own resources. It is worth bearing in mind that they get almost two thirds of the motor tax revenue paid to them through the local government fund. They have commercial rates and property tax revenue also. It is not solely my Department's responsibility, therefore. The amount of maintenance on and repair and strengthening of our roads is not enough. It will be fine this year. There is a decent budget this year because we have called off many projects we would like to have carried out, including some of the bad bend amelioration and road-widening projects. We have enough to ensure the roads are being maintained, but they should really be strengthened and restored more than at present. With regard to both roads and railways, we are storing up problems for the future but I can work only within the budget I have.